Obsidian
by BirmanDragon
Summary: Thomas Dickson's life is a living hell. Every day he is beaten by his grandfather, bullied at school, and tortured by his own masochistic desire to play difficult video games. But, one night, he is given a second chance at life. Donning the name Obsidian, what will become of him in his new life? And why does he have... abilities of a dark nature? Please R&R, rated T to be safe.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

(Third person POV)

Thomas Dickson's life was a living hell. His mother unfortunately died during his birth. His father committed suicide when he was only 5 years old. When the local council learned of this, they gave him a choice. Either go to an orphanage, or be raised by his grandfather. When Thomas chose the second, he though he was going to be raised by a loving, caring grandfather. How wrong he was.

Harry Dickson, Thomas' grandfather, was a bit of a… how to put this delicately… well, let's just say that he ignored almost all child abuse laws. Thomas usually got new cuts and bruises every week. He never got the toys he wanted for Christmas, and he was told Santa wasn't real as soon as he moved in with Harry. School wasn't that great either. He was constantly bullied for being the small kid, the weakling of the school. The only comfort in his life was video gaming.

Despite his grandfather's neglect, Thomas managed to find out about and enjoy video games. How? His only friend, Lewis White, introduced him to video games almost as soon as they came out. The first one Thomas ever played was The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning. That was all it took to get him hooked. Over the next ten years Thomas became a bit of a hardcore gamer. Always going into games at the max difficulty level. Doing different challenge runs as soon as he was old enough to understand what a challenge run was. He even went as far as to complete the entire Dark Souls series, not including Bloodborne or Demon Souls. But despite all this, Thomas still played the Legend of Spyro games. He didn't know why, but he was addicted to them in the same way a drug addict is addicted to drugs. He would find out soon enough…

(Thomas Dickson's POV, age 16 and a half)

"Come on, I just killed that orc!"

"It wouldn't be Nemesis difficulty if he didn't come back!"

"I know, but it is still annoying!"

I'm playing Shadow of War right now, the most recent game added to Lewis' collection of video games. I'd finished the story about a week ago, and I was now trying to power through the Shadow War section of the game. Unfortunately, one specific orc, Hura Blood Storm, kept coming back from the dead and killing me. It was getting to the point where Hura made it almost impossible to proceed to the next stage of the Shadow War, and decapitating him to prevent his return was almost impossible, seeing as he was immune to arrows and thus immune to Shadow Striking him, which is a decapitation kill.

Concentrating hard now, I start attacking Hura's gang to build up might. Unfortunately, a spear found it's way into the back of my head, and shortly afterwards…

 _NO CHANCE!_

…and I'm dead.

Throwing the controller down onto the cushion I'm sitting on, I let out a frustrated sigh.

"You do realise that you have the two-piece vengeance set bonus, right?"

And it was at that moment, that I realised, I could have set him ablaze with elven light by using my own health. Thus, is the folly of me…

"Thank you for making me feel stupid Lewis…"

"Only doing my job!"

Sometimes I wish I could punch Lewis in the face for his retorts, but I didn't want to lose the only friend I've ever had…

"Well, looking at the time, I'd better be going home."

"Aw, shucks. Well, see you tomorrow Thomas!"

I didn't even bother saying goodbye. We've been friends for long enough to know what we could and couldn't do around each other, and since Lewis doesn't really care about courtesy, a goodbye wasn't necessary. Well, I'd better get home _before_ grandfather does, otherwise I'll be in for another beating…

(time skip)

Arriving at the door to my home, I quickly looked around for my grandfather's car. THANK GOODNESS! Not within sight or earshot. I quickly open the door to the house using the key under the garden gnome. (All hail whoever bought that garden gnome, because Grandfather hates it!)

Quickly making my way up to my bedroom, I accidentally trip up on the last flight of stairs and, unfortunately, break my nose. Again.

"Oowwww…"

Not the first time I've broken something. Hell, Grandfather has even shattered my leg bone once. When he took me to A&E he said that I fell down a three-story building, before paying the nurse to buy his story. Where does he even get his money from? But that is besides the point.

Opening my bedroom door, I quickly collapse onto my bed before opening my 3DS. A gift from Harry. Thankfully it still has _The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon_ in it. My grandfather usually doesn't touch my stuff, but I wouldn't put stealing my things past him. Hell, I wouldn't put murder past him.

Turning on my 3DS, I pick up where I left off on DOTD…

(Time skip)

Just as the end cutscene finishes playing, I hear my grandfather's car pull up outside. Well, there goes any hope of getting a good night's sleep. I HOPED that Harry would be gone for the night, since he told me that he might be, but Grandfather loves giving me false hope…

(Short time skip)

"Thomas!"

Sighing, I realise that I forgot to lock the door behind me. Opening my bedroom door and heading downstairs, I brace for the worst…

WHACK! And, as expected, a burning pain appears in my left cheek.

"Dammit Grandfather, what-"

"I don't want to hear it. Go back to bed, NOW, before I feel like giving you another beating."

What?! You mean I might actually get a good sleep?! HELL YEAH… sorry, got a bit over excited there… where were we?

Heading upstairs and closing the bedroom door behind me, again, I immediately collapse onto my bed. Just as I close my eyes, wishing that I didn't have to deal with Harry soon, I notice a sort of… dark fire appear in front of me. I don't have time to register what is happening, as I quickly fall unconscious…


	2. 1: What in the even happened?

**Chapter 1: What in the Even happened?**

(Thomas Dickson's POV)

"Ow… my head…"

Well, that is one way to wake up. With a splitting headache! Not that I am unfamiliar with waking up like this, it is just that I'll never get used to it. I think. Or at least, I try to think. This ****** pain makes it impossible to think! Seriously, I'm having so much trouble thinking that I could follow a cart of corpses under the impression that it was a wedding!

Slowly opening my eyes, I notice two things that are wrong. 1. I'm in a forest, and 2. My nose is a hell of a lot longer than it should be, and is covered in black scales. Probably an exceptionally vivid dream then. I'll just pinch myself on the neck, and I should either wake up or feel nothing… OW!

Alright, not a dream. Definitely not a dream. That hurt WAY more than I expected. Slowly, I get up. Well, my limbs are at least working as intended… although, when I look at said limbs, I get quite the shock. Black scales cover said limbs. Twisting my neck so I can look behind me, I notice a pair of wings attached to my back. Wings which have a fiery orange membrane. Well, my brain has had just about enough at this point. I'm either going to lose consciousness, or scream to the high heavens… wait… no, neither of those two options. I'll just smack my head against the ground.

WHACK!

Much better.

Well, it doesn't take a genius to work out that I've been turned into a... half dragon, or something like that. The scales and wings kind of make that difficult to deny. The question is, do I still have opposable thumbs?

Yup, I've still got opposable thumbs, thank goodness.

Second question, should I walk on all fours? I feel stubbier than usual, so it is undoubtable possible. Hmm…

(Time skip)

Dammit! Walking on all fours is harder than I thought it would be, but after I had a look at my reflection in a nearby pool, (A very distorted reflection, because water) I thought it would be best to at least get the hang of walking on all fours. Much harder than I thought, but at least it is possible…

On the plus side, at least I'm going somewhere now. Where that somewhere is, I have no idea… Although I have an inkling of an idea. This place looks slightly familiar, although I can't place why. I suppose I know in my subconscious, but I've never been good enough at meditation to search my subconsciousness…

(Spyro's POV)

Why does every single part of me hurt exactly? Oh, wait… the battle with Malefor… that would be why… wait, where's Cynder?!

"CYNDER!"

Quickly opening my eyes, I scan the area around me. Please ancestors, let Cynder be alright, let Cynder…

"SPYRO!"

Before I know what is happening, I get tackled by a black dragon.

"Thank the ancestors you are okay Cynder…"

"Shut up you..."

And before I know what is happening, I get locked into a kiss… why exactl… oh wait, right when I pulled the world back together Cynder said that she loved me…

Pulling out of the kiss, I playfully shove Cynder off me.

"Not now Cynder, we have to let the Guardians know that Malefor has been defeated."

"*sigh* I guess you're right… way to ruin the moment Spyro."

"It isn't my fault that we need to let them know. Besides, Sparx would kill me if we didn't…"

Before Either of us have a chance to say anything, a sudden bright light appears in the forest. The light hangs around for a couple of seconds, before disappearing again.

"What was that?" Both of us ask at the same time.

"You want to check that out Cynder?"

"Might as well. Worst case scenario Malefor is back and we defeat him again."

(Time skip, Thomas Dickson's POV)

Damn, I need to rest. All this walking has taken everything out of me. I mean, it would. I'm using double the number of limbs I normally would be, so I'm using twice the amount of energy I normally would be. Oh well… I've got to get used to it… I think…

Collapsing on the ground, I allow my mind to wander. What is going on back home? Does Grandfather care about my disappearance? Does anyone other than Lewis care about my disappearance? What are those purple and black things moving towards me?

Wait, those purple and black things have wings, and one of them has shackles on its neck… Wait a moment… everything just clicked into place… am I really where I think I am? Hold on, but that was just a fantasy, a story made by Activision to entertain the masses… how am I in that story now?

Why I am questioning it after everything that has happened is an equally important question.

The purple and black creatures landed directly in front of me. Yup, definitely who I think they are… I'm about to faint…

Suddenly, the black… dragon opens its maw and speaks.

"Who are you?"

Well, my brain has just about had it at this point. Goodbye cruel world, I'll see you when I wake up…

(Cynder's POV)

Landing in front of the black dragon was harder than I thought it would be, with all the branches getting in my way. Staring at it, I decided that it was male, considering the number of scars, the shape of the head, etc. Spyro looked about as curious as I probably did. How was a dragon our age alive? All the eggs at the temple were broken during the raid…

This dragon was… unique, to say the least. He had fiery orange wing membranes, eyes the same colour as said wing membranes, and obsidian black scales covering his body. Multiple questions ran through my mind. Who is this dragon? How did he get all those scars? Why does he look like someone stabbed him through the heart?

Pushing these questions aside, I asked this dragon the question I had been dying to ask ever since I spotted it.

"Who are you?"

The black scaled dragon's eyes widened once I'd finished speaking. For whatever reason, those same eyes went bloodshot… only the blood was black… and the poor thing fainted on the spot.

Great ancestors, whatever happened to this poor dragon seems to have traumatized him… I could tell thanks to my fear element…

Turning towards Spyro, we both asked the exact same question at the exact same time.

"What?"


	3. 2: A rebooted life

**Chapter 2: A rebooted life**

(Thomas POV)

Well, my headache is gone at least, but that doesn't change the fact that I am now stuck in the valley of Avalar, or make that fact any easier to understand. Not that I am complaining. I don't have to deal with my poor excuse of a grandfather anymore, I've got out of school (at least for now), and I am a Dragon hybrid of some description or another. What more could I ask for?

Slowly opening my eyes, which is difficult due to my lack of proper sleep, I quickly notice the purple and black dragon having what seems to be a light-hearted conversation. It could be anything of course, but the look in their eyes says enough. Unless I'm reading them wrong, which is a distinct possibility, but I've always had a knack for reading people.

Well, keeping silent isn't going to get me any answers, so I'd better speak up.

"Could one of you two please tell me what the holy hand grenade is going on?"

(Authors Note: All rights to the holy hand grenade go to Monty Python)

The two dragons almost immediately stop speaking, before turning to face me. Either they were not expecting me to be awake right now, or I had interrupted some form of private conversation. Probably the former, since they looked surprised but not worried. The purple dragon then seemed to reach a decision, since he moved towards me before sitting down. I quickly realise that I had forgotten to get up. Thus, is the folly of me.

Both dragons were staring at me, as if expecting me to say something. Well, might as well oblige!

"Don't keep your… maws shut like I didn't just ask you a logical question. To repeat myself, what the holy hand grenade is going on?"

Both dragons continued to stare at me. Taking this opportunity to look them over, I decided to make mental notes. The black dragon had, well, black scales, a metal collar/shackle on, and a sharp tail blade. Too small to cause any major damage when swung without accuracy, yet large enough to have force behind it when swung. The purple dragon, on the other… paw I suppose, had orange/golden horns, purple scales (Obviously), and obviously undersized wings. How the hell this thing flew was…

Wait, I recognise these two. Hold on…

"By any chance are you two Spyro and Cynder?"

The words left my maw before I could even realise what I was saying… Oh goodie, this is going to end _brilliantly,_ I can tell… Except for the part where it won't, because I know more than I should, and the fact that I recognise Spyro and Cynder implies that I know more than I should, which could be perceived the wrong way…

Spyro, I'm assuming, looked surprised. I'm not surprised though. I mean, wouldn't you be shocked if someone you never met recognised you?

"How do you know our names?"

Sorry, Spyro, but that is a question that will have to remain unanswered. Unless I answer vaguely, of course…

"I have my sources. _Reliable,_ sources."

Well, I didn't give out too much information, and I didn't have to lie. Although I expect that I will have to make use of deception in the foreseeable future. I do not want to have anyone learn of my past life, and I do not want too many reminders of it either.

Well, Spyro was looking at me with suspicion, as was Cynder, but I'm not going to give away too much information… although I suspect these two lovebirds won't leave me along until I do. A shame, but I will have to attempt to give the vague answers.

Well, I suspect Spyro and Cynder will want a name to call me by, so I might as well give them one. I'm NOT going with Thomas. Most draconic names have something to do with their element, and Thomas isn't associated with one. Hmm… Magma? No. While I'm reasonably sure that I have the fire element, I do not want to be associated with a liquid of pure destruction. Obsidian? Hmm… I quite like that. The product of cooling lava, hard, sharp, and quite a sight to see. Black, like my scales, and vaguely associated with what I believe my element is.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Obsidian."

Come on, say something dammit! I don't want to be the only one talking here!

"Are either of you going to say anything at any point in time, or would you like to knock me unconscious, so you can resume your friendly discussion?"

THAT got a response.

"How much of that did you hear?"

That came from Cynder. There was a note in her voice that I couldn't quite place… probably for the best. I'm keeping my secrets, I'll let them keep theirs.

"Not anything comprehensible to my ears." My reply, or at least my planned reply, was perfect, "I won't pry."

Both Cynder and Spyro visibly relaxed at my last statement. Hopefully I'll be able to get some answers from them.

"So, to break down my previous question, where am I, is Malefor dead, and are you two in a position where you can fight if we get attacked?"

Cynder looked as though he was about to reply, but Spyro got there first.

"Well, from the looks of things, you are in the valley of Avalar. We aren't certain on whether the Dark Master is dead, but he is out of the picture. And I'm too exhausted to fight if we are attacked."

"From pulling the planet back together, yes, I know. And before you ask, I have no connection to Malefor, bar the obvious hatred of his motives."

"Well…" I glance at the sky. Midday. "If you two are going anywhere, mind if I tag along? I don't really have anywhere to go right now, and I'd rather drown than go back to where I was yesterday."

Spyro looked suspicious of me, to say the least, but Cynder seemed happy enough. I could tell what the answer was going to be before Cynder even gave it.

"Sure! Just keep your promise about not prying into the business between me and Spyro."

"I won't pry, and if I overhear anything, my lips are sealed." Gazing towards her with an evil smile… "Unlike yours and Spyro's."

Their reaction… priceless! Both Spyro and Cynder were blushing like crazy, and avoiding my gaze! I swear, if I somehow don't burst out laughing at the embarrassment of these two lovebirds there is something physically wrong with me!

…

Alright, there is something physically wrong with me.


	4. 3: The journey, and the Guardian

**Chapter 3: The journey, the Temple, and the Guardians**

(Thomas, now Obsidian's, POV)

How do these two do it? Travel for this long without getting tired I mean. All four of my legs are aching, although it feels weird to call the front two limbs legs. My tail, weird as it is to have one, feels worse since I have been dragging it across the ground all day. Or all half day, to be more precise, since our merry little trio set out at midday…

Glancing at Spyro and Cynder, I could tell they were equally tired, since they were practically dragging their legs forward. Well, enough is enough, and it is best to set up camp while you are still active enough to keep watch…

"Alright you two, this seems like a good spot to hit the sack for the night. I'll get some wood, you two try not to completely loose it while I'm gone."

The idea here was not just to collect wood for the fire, but to also give Spyro and Cynder some privacy. After all, I know what they've been through, and they deserve at least a little time to themselves. Among other things, like a good home, as much food as they'll ever need, friends their age (Authors note: The age of Spyro and Cynder in this story is 13), and at least one peaceful night.

Well, I did say I was going to collect firewood, so I had better get started… Off I pop, I'll probably be back in by the time the sun sets.

(Spyro's POV)

"Alright you two, this seems like a good spot to hit the sack for the night. I'll get some wood, you two try not to completely loose it while I'm gone."

Well that was conveniently timed. I'm not used to walking for this long without breaks, but Obsidian kept insisting that we kept going. Something about building up endurance, if memory serves.

I collapse on the ground, carefully watching Obsidian as he walked into the forest. Something about him didn't quite seem right, but I couldn't place what it was. He seemed nice enough, but his vague answers to almost all my questions had me on edge.

"You alright Spyro?" Cynder suddenly asked. She sounded… concerned.

"I'm fine Cynder. I'm just worried about this Obsidian." Worried isn't really the right word. Suspicious is more accurate, but I suspect that Obsidian is within earshot.

"Don't be. He's weird, and extremely careful with his replies, but he seems like a good dragon."

"What do you mean exactly?" Of all people I thought Cynder would be the first to suspect Obsidian of something…

"I mean that he has been traumatized in some way. Didn't you see his eyes when we first met him? They went all bloodshot as soon as I finished speaking. And his heart rate rose dramatically. Whatever secrets he has, I suggest we let him keep them. He'll tell us if and when he is ready."

Well, that is difficult to argue with. Cynder does have the fear element, so she would be able to sense this sort of thing. Although I fail to see how this is related to Obsidian being a good dragon.

"How is this related to Obsidian being a good dragon?" as much as I don't want to argue right now, I really need to know the answer to this question.

"The way he speaks, the way he carries himself, the way he pushes himself. He doesn't care about his own suffering, but told us to set up camp once he noticed us two getting tired. Whatever happened to him back then must have hurt him badly, I can see that, but he isn't trying to force his suffering on us."

I'm starting to get what Cynder is saying. Obsidian was covered in scars, and he seemed overly eager to joke back when we first had a proper conversation…

(Obsidian's POV)

Well, six logs should be enough firewood to get us through the night, as long as the fire is fed carefully at specific intervals. I've been camping before, so I already have a routine worked out.

Walking back to camp, I found it extremely difficult to lose my sense of direction. A perk of being half dragon I suppose… Although as soon as I get back to camp, I learn another perk. Improved hearing…

"…to set up camp once he noticed us two getting tired. Whatever happened to him back then must have hurt him badly, I can see that, but he isn't trying to force his suffering on us."

That was Cynder. Almost certainly talking about me. Unfortunately, it sounds like there was a lot of false advertising going on here, because I am not really that much of a nice person, period. Getting beaten every day by the person who was supposed to look after you, playing difficult video games every day, and getting bullied by your classmates doesn't tend to turn one into a model citizen, after all.

Walking into camp on my… hind legs, I suppose, carrying all six logs in my forelegs/arms, I decide to announce myself before these two continued their private conversation.

"I heard that last part. And stop making me look like someone I'm not."

Both Cynder and Spyro turned to face me, wide-eyed with amazement. Oh right, standing on my back limbs, most dragons can't do that. Well, I should have thought of that _before_ I announced myself… to quote Siegward from DS3, I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Well, the first thing to do when you are in a hole is to stop digging. The problem here is that the metaphorical hole is now digging itself…

"Unless you two are trying to cosplay as a bug-eyed dragon toy, I must recommend that you stop staring at me with amazement. Not that I don't appreciate it, it is just that if you keep that up I'm going to have to find a 200-page book to knock you over the head with. Anyways, I've brought the firewood, which one of you is going to light it?"

Well that took longer to say than I would have liked. I could probably have just gone with the last part in all honestly…

Dumping the wood in the centre of our little 'camp', I turn towards the two lovebirds.

Both Spyro and Cynder almost look sane right now. The look of amazement is still on their faces, but they probably aren't used to dragons walking on their hind legs… Although I'm obviously not a complete dragon… but Spyro and Cynder don't need to know that… despite the fact that they will probably find out eventually… Anyways, this is getting ridiculous!

"Alright, snap out of it you two. Amazement is one thing, but completely zoning out on me is another." I walk up to Spyro. Maybe a quick punch will snap him out of his trance. "Alright, plan B then…"

WHACK!

"OW!"

That did the trick… or it broke his maw. One or the other. Probably the former, but you never know.

"What in the name of the ancestors was that for?"

He still lives! Yay, now I get to deal with his probably foul mood.

Getting back onto all fours, I really hope he doesn't kill me for that little stunt…

"You completely zoned out on me. I know that a dragon or dragoness walking on their hind legs is unusual, but seriously, I was worried that you'd lost the ability to move!"

Well, Spyro seems to have calmed down somewhat, but I'm still not letting my mental guard down. I know from bitter experience that letting your guard down often results in getting a fresh batch of scars…

"Sorry about that…"

Yup, safe to let my guard down now…

WHACK!

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes. You did that to me, I'm just returning the favour."

*sigh* this is going to be a long night…

"I'll take first watch, you snap Cynder out of her trance and get some sleep. I'll wake you two at midnight, so you can take over."

(time skip)

Well, forget watching for an attack, the forest feels completely lifeless. What am I, some sort of anti-life magnet? Probably. I do have the worst luck imaginable, after all.

Shifting my gaze to the sky, I noticed the two moons were pretty much directly above me. Midnight. Well, time to wake Spyro and Cynder… this won't end well…

(time skip, Spyro's POV)

After I got over the initial shock of being woken up by Obsidian, it didn't take much persuading on his end to get me and Cynder to take over. I don't know how he does it, but Obsidian carries an aura of authority similar to the ones the Guardians have, but doesn't feel as imposing. Probably just his age…

"Spyro?"

Cynder, really? Now of all times?

"Yes Cynder?"

"Erm… Did you hear what I said right before you pulled the world back together…"

Oh, so _that_ is what this is about… Well, might as well be honest.

"Yes, I heard. And… well… I love you too."

(Obsidian's POV)

Oh, not now Spyro, I was just starting to get some sleep…

Blocking my ears with my… forepaws, I believe they are called, I close my eyes again. And once again, just as I was about to fall asleep, I hear what sounds like… wrestling? Probably… oh wait. This had better not be going in the direction I think it is going in…

"Not now you two, I can barely sleep as is, I don't need _that_ kind of noise giving me nightmares for the rest of the night."

The fact that the sounds are getting louder is starting to worry me. Fine, I'll knock myself out then. After all, I know a thing or two about pressure points…

Putting the blunt side of one of my claws on the soft flesh underneath the ear, I braced for the pain that I was about to inflict on myself. This was going to hurt. A lot.

And as soon as I push my claw into that pressure point, I fall into the blissful state of unconsciousness…

(Time skip, next day, afternoon)

Well, I've still got the splitting headache I woke up with, but blunt force trauma to a sensitive pressure point will do that to anyone. Thank goodness, I didn't have to stay up all night listening to Spyro and Cynder. I am not, and never will be, into that sort of thing.

Anyways, after hours of walking, the… Dragon temple, or whatever it is called, was finally in sight. Only problem was that it was floating. With a single giant chain anchoring it to the ground. And I couldn't fly…

"…I can't believe I was initially so against the idea. I really enjoyed…"

"Shut. Up. In case you didn't hear last night, I do not want nightmares about things like that, so if you could refrain from speaking about the events of last night in my presence I would be grateful."

""Sorry""

Those two are going to be the death of me. Seriously. I'm going to wake up one morning to Spyro and Cynder savaging me.

"Anyways, we're here."

I could tell that the only way to access the temple was flight, and I haven't learned to fly yet…

"Er, slight problem you two…"

Spyro and Cynder both turned to face me, slightly blushing from my last comment.

"As much as I hate to admit this, I've never learned to fly…"

Well, the cat is now out of the bag, and where it leaps is anyone's guess. Hopefully not onto my new wings, I kind of need them right now.

(Spyro's POV)

"As much as I hate to admit this, I've never learned to fly…"

What? Obsidian never learned how to fly? Well that's new. I doubt I could teach him. I mean, I can tell him what Ignitus told me *holds back tear*, but I'm not sure whether that will work for this dragon…

"Just do what my mentor told me. Close your eyes, clear your mind, forget everything, and let the ancestors guide you."

(Obsidian's POV)

What? Meditation? Well, I might as well. I've nothing to lose and everything to gain, so to speak. Closing my eyes, my mind already being clear since I've been trying NOT to think ever since last night, I suddenly understand why people meditate. This is the most peaceful I've been since… never, actually.

Slowly, I notice that I feel… weightless. My paws aren't touching the ground… wait, did this actually work?! Opening my eyes, I find that my mind has not deceived me. I am, in fact, flying.

"Well, that makes absolutely zero sense, but then again so does most of my life… thanks Spyro."

I am in fact incredibly grateful that Spyro recalled what Ignitus taught him. After all, that is a painful memory for Spyro.

"Anytime…"

Well, now that I can fly, it should be possible for me to reach the temple.

"Well, the sooner we reach the temple, the sooner we can properly rest. Lead on Spyro, I still need to get the hang of this."

(time skip)

Landing at the… landing pad I suppose was harder than I thought. Mostly because stopping was a pain. A runway would have been a better choice, but the Guardians probably didn't have the room for one…

"Spyro! Cynder! You're alive!"

I recognised that voice… Terrador, Guardian of earth. Honestly my favourite of the remaining guardians, simply because he lacks the flaws of the other two.

"Yes, we are, thank you for noticing…"

Tuning out the rest of the conversation, I examine the temple. Worn stone. Could be easily broken if someone swung a club at it, but is probably strengthened with the earth element.

The landing pad was a new addition, and looked very makeshift. A wooden platform with a large L painted on it. Supported by poles of soil. Not very sturdy, but, again, probably strengthened with the earth element.

My train of thought was interrupted by a sudden question. One I expected, and I'm pretty sure that Spyro and Cynder expected it too.

"Who is that?"

Turning around to face the Guardian, a single thought crossed my mind.

Holy. Hell. This is a big one.


	5. 4: Anger Issues

**Chapter 4: Anger Issues**

(Authors Notes: I've read that especially large review, and I will try to avoid making the mistakes mentioned there. I'll probably fail spectacularly, but I'm only human, and if reading an awful story gives you a reason to point and laugh… Well, I've done my job of entertaining you…)

(Obsidian's POV)

Holy. Hell. This is a big one. I mean, I know adult dragons are large, I've seen that in the video games Lewis let me play, but… those games have _absolutely nothing_ on the actual size of these beasts. Then again, most things look smaller on a TV screen, so I can't fault anyone for that.

Still, the question Terrador just asked is bouncing through my skull. ' _Who is that?'_ Should I answer honestly, or stick with the name Obsidian? This is a Guardian, so he should have access to a certain pool. A pool that may or may not throw all my secrets out the window.

For now, at least, I'll stick with my new name. Hopefully I'll be able to leave my past life where it is, in the past, and start a new one here. Not to say that I don't miss a couple of things from home, like video gaming and Lewis, but I decided quite a while back that I'd do almost anything to get away from… all of _that_.

"My name is Obsidian. And, in future, please direct all questions about me _towards_ the person you wish to know more about."

…

That sounded more defensive than I hoped it would. Oh well, it could be worse. If I said that to Cyril I do believe he would be the offended. Oh wait… in 3, 2, 1…

"How dare you?!"

How is my luck so predictable? I mean, it isn't as if this sort of thing happens to me 24/7. Although, if the last 48 hours are anything to go by, that is probably going to change, if it hasn't already.

"How dare I? Sorry to break it to you, but Guardian or not, you do not have the right to gain personal information about me without my permission." This is bringing out bad memories. I can practically see said memories in front of me! "Asking someone to give out their details is polite. I suggest you go find a dictionary and learn what 'polite' means."

Wrong response. That was definitely the wrong response. I've probably just signed my own death warrant. Yay for me, one day in and I've already dug my own grave, and I doubt I have any say when it comes to going inside said grave…

"You insolent little…"

The look on Cyril's face says it all, although draconic faces are much harder to 'read' than human faces. Probably got something to do with the difference in head shape… but I digress.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm about to get frozen solid, I'd laugh… unfortunately I'm pretty sure that I'm about to get frozen solid…

"CYRIL!"

…Since when has anyone ever done anything to save my life? Don't answer that.

I'm relatively certain that Terrador was the one who-

"This idiotic, disrespectful hatchling just implied that I was uncivilised!" Really? THAT is what you are concerned about? "I will not tolerate that kind of behaviour in my own-"

"Is it really your temple?" I just had to dig myself into a deeper whole, didn't I? "Last I checked, which was a while back, this temple belongs to _the Guardians,_ not any specific one of the Guardians."

For a moment Cyril looked like he was about to explode with rage, but he calmed down somewhat as soon as I finished speaking. Probably thought he was 'too civilised' to bother continuing this argument. And sure enough…

"I don't have to deal with this…"

And… there he goes. Mumbling a variety of curses under his breath might I add.

Turning back towards Terrador, I notice a look in his eyes… annoyance? Probably. I did just insult two separate Guardians… so annoyance is more than justified. Unrestrained anger, on the other… hand? Paw?... is not justified, simply because I've fallen into that trap in the past. (when Obsidian threw his controller in the prologue)

Well, I'd best stop digging myself a bigger grave…

"So… are we done? Because… I've got things to do… yeah… things that desperately need doing…"

It was painfully obvious that I was lying through my teeth. I made sure of that.

"You aren't going anywhere, _young dragon_." Is it me, or is Terrador actually mad at me because of an insult? "You're coming with me."

Well, I was right about this not ending well… I am so dead…

(Time skip.)

(I am fully aware that I ignored the existence of Spyro and Cynder before the time skip, so do not point out what I already know.)

"So, let me get this straight…" That was from Volteer, the current (HAHA funny joke…) Guardian of Electricity. "You come here with Spyro and Cynder," Yes… "Spyro teaches you how to fly by repeating what Ignitus told him," Pretty much… "And you have no idea how you got here or what your element is?"

"That about sums it up." Or it would, if Volteer could control his voice box. Seriously, I've had to tell him to slow down about 4 times now. The 4th time being the least polite, of course.

"Well, only one way to confirm if you are speaking the truth." Oh, I know exactly what is coming here…

Volteer gestured towards the Pool of Visions. I knew what he wanted, and I'd decided on my answer before the Guardians began their interrogations.

"No."

THAT was not the answer the Guardians were expecting. I have no doubt that they will kick me out of the temple if I refuse, but my past should stay where it is. In the past.

"What?" Cyril, you are walking on thin ice here (HA! Alright I'll stop now…), I'm in a bit of a mood from all this questioning, I don't need you pressing all the wrong buttons. "How are we supposed to trust you then?"

"My point exactly." I begin to explain. This was going to take a while… "You expect me to blindly trust you because you're 'The great, infallible Guardians', but _you_ haven't done anything to establish any level of trust with me. For example, instead of asking me who I was," I glare at Terrador as I mention this. If looks could kill… "You asked Spyro and Cynder. That is not only rude, but it implies that you never trusted me from the beginning." This was not going to end well, but I have a bad habit of speaking without thinking. Especially when I'm in a bad mood… "I respect your deeds, and I respect your decisions, but only one Guardian has ever earned my respect, and thanks to your own inability he is dead!"

Brain? KNOCK KNOCK! You in there? KNOCK KNOCK! Anyone home?

"That was one isolated incident! You can't simply refuse to acknowledge our authority because of one incident!"

"That 'one incident' was followed by Cyril throwing his ego at me, which was then followed by Terrador demanding that I follow him here." Ow, all the blood in my head is flowing to my eyes… "Individually those situations aren't particularly damning, but _I'll_ be damned if-"

"SHUT UP!"

My my, someone has an ego problem…

I attempt to calm myself before turning to face Cyril… OW! More blood rushing to my eyes, really?

"Do you want a repeat of everything I just said?" I'm starting to lose control of myself. Normally I consider myself a person of emotional self-restraint, someone who always keeps their emotions in check. Now though I was drifting towards the 'angry teenager' side of the spectrum.

"For the love of the ancestors Obsidian, calm down!"

And… there goes all my remaining self-restraint…

" **SHUT UP!"**

(Spyro's POV, just before Obsidian loses self-control)

Out of curiosity, and the insistence of Sparx, I'd decided to eavesdrop on the conversation going on between Obsidian and the Guardians. Sparx would have gone anyway, but I have nothing better to do right now.

Obsidian… I'm still suspicious about him. After seeing his sudden outburst in the garden, I was worried. Not about the Guardians of course, they could take care of themselves without needing my help. I'm worried that Obsidian will do something stupid. He _seems_ nice enough, but so did Malefor before he became the Dark Master, according to what few books I've had to read.

Arriving at the door to the Vision room, Sparx quickly presses his ear against it. Not that he'll be able to hear much, since he doesn't have the sensitive ears of dragons.

"I can't hear much…"

"Of course, you can't Sparx, you're lack the ears needed to eavesdrop-"

My sentence was interrupted by a shout coming from the Vision room.

" **SHUT UP!"**

That almost sounds like Obsidian's voice, but it can't be. It is distorted, and far too deep… like the voice of my dark form…

The realisation hit me like a sledgehammer. Obsidian was slipping into his dark form! Throwing the doors of the Vision room open, I dash in. Sparx, of course, flies off in terror.

The sight that greeted me… no wonder Sparx was terrified. Obsidian was standing in the middle of the room, with the Guardians surrounding him. But that wasn't what filled me with fear…

Obsidian was covered in darkness, a darkness which was radiating a dim orange fire. I couldn't see his eyes, but it is probably safe to assume that they are pure white.

When Obsidian turned around, I expected to be greeted by a pair of white eyes. What actually greeted me was far, far worse. Instead of there being nothing but white in the eyes of the dark dragon…

Obsidian's eyes were practically burning with a bright orange flame. The veins in those same eyes were extremely noticeable, since they were a pitch black. Worse still, those same eyes seemed to absorb all light around them…

(Obsidian's POV)

I wasn't angry right now. I was absolutely livid. All those years of abuse from my Grandfather, all that bullying I received from the kids at school, it all poured out. If I was still on Earth, those idiots would be reaping the rewards of their torment. Fortunately, I'm not on Earth, so I'm not going to do something stupid. But that doesn't change my mood. If anything, that fact only worsens it.

My whole body is covered with a burning pain, but I don't care. All I want to do is kill the nearest living thing, tear the corpse to pieces, and…

The doors at the back of the Vision room suddenly burst open. The sound of flapping wings suddenly fills my ears. Slowly, I turn around. I'm going to kill whoever interrupted this-

It is Spyro. One of the only living beings in this world I respect. I need to calm dow-

 **No.**

What?

 **Kill him.**

Who is that?

 **KILL THEM ALL!**

Whoever you are, get out of my head.

 **NOT UNTIL I SEE THEIR STILL BLEEDING CORPSES!**

MY MIND IS MY OWN DAMMIT!

…

My anger slowly fades away, as does the pain I am… was feeling. Slowly, I empty of all emotion. Whatever the hell happened has completely drained me.

My eyes slowly clear of blood, and it becomes possible to see clearly again. Spyro was inches away from me, my right paw/hand wrapped around his throat. Did I… I couldn't have… But the proof is right in front of me…

I unwrap my… paw, I'll settle with, from around Spyro's neck. I'm in a state of shock. Why did I do that? I can't remember anything beyond being extremely angry… how did that almost happen?

And it was at that point that my shock gave way, and I completely lost it. Whatever happened almost resulted in the death of Spyro, one of my favourite video game characters in the history of ever! I can't even remember what happened clearly... I need help…

And suddenly, I did the one thing I haven't done since Grandfather slapped that particular emotion out of me ten years ago.

I began to cry.

 **Well, that is about it for 'act 1' as I call it. How did I do? For once in my life I'd actually like to know the answer to that question. Yes, a lot of 'act 1' feels forced, and I'll probably be re-writing this Fic after I finish it.**

' **Act 2' will involve the training of Obsidian, and the introduction of new, teenage Dragons. Not all of them will belong to me, and if you have any ideas for them please let me know in the reviews.**

 **See you next time!**


	6. 5: A Dysfunctional Element

**Chapter 5: A dysfunctional element**

(Author Notes: This is the first chapter in 'Act 2' of Obsidian. I will not be introducing any new characters for another chapter or two, so do feel free to put any and all suggestions in the reviews. And to address any concerns about the later intro of more teenage dragons, they will be about Spyro's and Cynder's current age. Do not expect very many new characters, and do not expect me to introduce them very well. I'm only human, and this is my first fanfic. With all that said, enjoy!)

(Obsidian's POV)

Why. Why did I have to break down like that? And, more importantly, why did I almost choke Spyro? I've been a fan of 'The Legend of Spyro' ever since I was introduced to video gaming by Lewis, why on this good green planet would I try to kill the protagonist of one of my favourite games? I was angry, I'll freely admit that, but anger doesn't make you forget your own actions. Anger doesn't force you to harm people against your will.

I wish I could forget all of that, but I have a strong memory, so I suspect that specific event will haunt me for the rest of my days. I'll probably have nightmares tonight. Still, to think that…

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Come on, not now of all times! I'm trying to silently monologue, could you please give me some space?

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

I would ask if you heard me, but since I'm not speaking out loud for once in my life, the answer is an obvious one.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

If I don't say something, this could continue all night…

"Not now, I need time to think…"

That should do it… Unless the Guardians plan on 'training' me, in which case I'll happily come along…

"The Guardians want to meet you in the training hall!"

Sparx. Of course, he'd be the one to fetch me. Spyro is probably recovering from that chokehold I placed him in, and Cynder is probably busy worrying about him… So it had to be Sparx, didn't it?

"Alright, I'll be out in a moment…"

By 'a moment' I mean once I've gotten a quick drink. I haven't eaten or drunken anything since my arrival in the… Dragon Realms, weren't they called? Something like that. Anyway, where was I…

I noticed when I entered this room that there was a bowl of water in the far-left corner of the room. Approaching it, a single thought enters my mind.

 _How the hell am I supposed to drink as a half-dragon?_

Dogs and cats lap their water, so I suppose I could try the same thing…

…

…

Well this is a waste of time. Plan B then, picking the stupid thing up and dumping the contents in my maw.

WHAT THE… That could have gone better. I'll have to ask the Guardians for cups in the future, I simply cannot drink like this. After all, I do thankfully still have opposable thumbs.

Opening the door to my new room, I'm greeted by the unsurprisingly hateful expression of Sparx. I did come close to killing his brother, so I'll give Sparx some leeway, but if he thinks I'm letting _anyone_ bully me in my new life I'm going to shove my new paw so far up his **** that I'll be cleaning his tonsils and brushing his teeth…

"I would ask why you have that expression on your face," I ask. Thank goodness, I've had so long to regain my composure. "But I already know the answer to the question."

"Let's just leave."

That was rather out of character. I always thought of Sparx as a chatterbox, not a near silent levitating lightbulb… Either the games didn't get everything right, or Sparx is in a REALLY foul mood. Probably the latter. Hopefully not the latter… I take that back, I'm now a hypocrite.

(time skip)

The short walk to the training hall was uneventful, and surprisingly silent. I didn't bother trying to start a discussion. It would have only lead to a heated argument.

Entering the hall, I was… impressed to say the least. The games have _nothing_ on this. Much larger, stacks of wooden planks in the corner, a large training ring in the centre of the room, a decent seating arrangement, and multiple ready-made dummies in the far-right corner. This is… not what I was prepared for. Probably built recently to replace the old training room shown in the games…

"Good, you are here. Shall we begin?"

Volteer. It seems he remembers my previous request to, and I quote, 'Stop trying to talk me to death'. Thank goodness, he took that lesson to heart. I would actually feel bad about making another 'request'.

"What exactly am I here for?"

I already know the answer to that question, but I'd like to be sure.

"You are here, young _dragon_ " Why the emphasis on that word? "So I can assess your abilities and teach you how to use your element."

Teach me how to consciously use whatever caused Spyro's near death? Er… I'd rather not, but I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. A lesson I learned the hard way with Estus flasks on Dark Souls…

"Where do we start?"

"Go into the ring and I'll start the examination of your abilities."

Oh goodie, walking headfirst into an arena that will soon be full of wooden enemies. And I have no experience to boot. This is going to go _soooo_ brilliantly, I can tell…

Climbing into the ring, I apprehensively face Volteer.

"What now?"

In answer to my question, a wooden dummy of a small ape appeared in front of me. I barely have enough time to brace myself for the inevitable impact.

OW!

Who knew wooden clubs hurt so much? And since when did such a small thing have strength rivalling that of a professional wrestler? That was painful to the nth degree, and unfortunately that little hit has me on my… I would say knees, but I'm technically a half-quadruped, half biped now. Is 'biped' even a word? I'm not sure.

I barely get up in time to see the next swing coming. Considering how quickly the first swing came out, I doubt I can avoid the attack, so I raise my forelegs to block it, unconsciously shifting all my weight onto my hind legs.

CRACK!

The club swung slightly faster this time, but I was able to block it thanks to my quick reflexes and good eyesight. OW! I had to jinx it, all my blood is flowing to my eyes now… there goes my good eyesight… or so I thought half a second ago.

For whatever reason, my eyesight has become sharper, and everything is moving in slow motion. Adrenalin. I've experienced adrenalin rushes before, thank you Resident Evil, so I'm not going to be worried about what happened once the fight is over.

The small dummy pulled back it's arms, readying itself for another swing, but in my heightened state of awareness I was able to notice that the stupid wooden ape left itself open to attack. Throwing a quick punch at the shoulder of the ape, I hoped that wood (HA!) at least dislocate the shoulder of my attacker. Nope…

HOLY HAND GRENADE THAT HURT!

…Remind me never to punch a wooden dummy again. Or any wooden object for that matter. That stuff was far tougher than it looked.

And, in my stupidity, I left myself open to attack by taking a moment to contemplate the pain and silently monologue for a bit. I come back to reality just as the wooden club connects with my head… and fails to do anything other than give me a throbbing headache.

Alright, that is it, no more mister nice half-dragon, I'm going to tear this thing a…

OW!

I need to stop these internal monologues before I get permanent brain damage, because this is getting ridiculous!

Suddenly, flashback to the day I got sent to the Dragon Realms.

[flashback]

Damn you Hura! Why is it impossible to get you to stay dead?! Shadow of War, more like the increasing size of the shadow of all my failures!

"Let me give you a hand there."

"I can do it myself Lewis."

"It doesn't look like it from my point of view."

He's probably right, but I refuse to be humiliated by this son of a **** again! Suddenly, a grunt comes up from behind me and stupidly takes a swing at me. Pressing the Y button at the last second, Talion catches the incoming blade with his sword, before pulling said sword downwards and proceeding to thrust the blade of Urfael through the skull of the uruk… I'll never get tired of that animation…

[End flashback]

Well, I'm on the ground, which is not a good thing. Wait… Could I? I don't have a weapon, but I do have claws and a tail blade… I do have a tail blade, right? No time to worry about that now! Standing on my hind legs again, I wait painfully for this exceptionally annoying ape to charge at me. I was not disappointed.

Running at me with his stupid club above his head, this image would have been comical if I wasn't likely to receive several concussions by the end of today. When the ape reached me, he predictably swung his weapon downwards. Practically dependant on the adrenalin coursing through me, I move to my left, allowing the club to swing past me. Once the thrice damned club was almost at the end of the swing, I thrust my claws towards the throat of the now defenceless dummy… and surprisingly I hit something. Wood, shaped like a neck. Claws penetrating the surprisingly tough wood, the dummy 'died' almost instantly.

Holy hand grenade, that much effort for one small ape? And Spyro and Cynder used to face this daily?

Panting heavily, I get back onto all fours, crawl over to the side, and collapse.

When I the adrenalin rush finally wears off, I turn towards Volteer. He looked… amused? I suppose I would be too, if I were in his position. You watch a young dragon crawl into the ring, the weakest version of dummy shows up, and the teenage dragon manages to defeat the thing by the skin of his teeth… quite funny for spectators.

The only problem is that I'm not a spectator.

"Alright, I barely managed to beat the weakest dummy available in a 1v1, you're allowed to laugh."

If I wasn't so damn tired I would be offended by the resulting laughter. Fortunately, I am too tired to care about that sort of thing right now, so unless Volteer calls in a bigger ape…

You have got to be kidding me.

(Time skip)

Well that was excruciatingly painful. Broken claws, multiple bruises in all the wrong places, yes that does include _there,_ and a black eye. Thank the holy hand grenade those crystals work for me, otherwise I'd be stuck in the infirmary for a month.

"Well…"

"Well what, Volteer?"

Yes, I am in a bad mood right now. Wouldn't you be if you'd been beaten up by multiple varieties of apes?

"According to my assessment, you are utterly incapable of preforming well in a combat-orientated scenario."

In other words, I'm behind for my age. _Greeeaaat…_ Just what the doctor ordered. (LOL)

"So, Obsidian, now I will instruct you on how to use the basic functions of your element."

...This had better not go as poorly as the _incident_ went.

Walking over to the side of the training room, Volteer has already set up a large target. So, I'm expected to be able to aim? HAH! If my previous performance was anything to go by, I'm going to suck at this!

"Sit in front of the target."

Following the instructions mindlessly, I'm more focused on keeping my temper in check. The last time my anger got out of control I almost killed someone… I do not want a repeat of that.

"Now, close your eyes and search yourself for something."

What? Since when was this a lesson on how to use Japanese Chi?

"I said-"

I know what you said you unusually complex living being.

Closing my eyes, I follow Volteer's instructions. There is… _something_ there, but it isn't… anything. I can feel a sort of… emptiness in my chest which wasn't there before. Probably this 'element' Volteer is talking about.

"Now, once you've found this something let it travel towards your maw. Once it arrives, open your maw."

I follow Volteer's instructions to the letter. This… void, moves towards my throat, through my throat, HOLY HAND GRENADE THAT IS HOT!

Opening my maw like instructed, I expected a spectacular display of fireworks. What I got was a small, light absorbing fireball which fizzled out before it hit the target.

"Well…"

For once in his life, it seemed like Volteer was utterly lost for words.

That could have gone better... Although it is possible that my 'element' doesn't work the same way as most elements. Either that, or my element is incredibly weak. Probably the latter, considering my luck, but you never know...

Either way, I have a lot of work to do.


	7. 6: A new arrival

**Chapter 6: A new arrival**

(Authors Notes: There is a two-week time gap between this chapter and the last chapter, and unlike previous chapters, this one will not be focusing primarily on Obsidian. Please note that I am not, technically speaking, introducing a new character here. I've also had writers block for the past couple of days, so sorry about the late upload and the short(er) chapter length. With all that said, enjoy!)

(Lewis White's POV)

It has been roughly three weeks since Thomas disappeared, and I'm starting to worry that this is more than a simple disappearance. I mean, Thomas wouldn't just _disappear_ like that, would he? I'm aware that I don't know him as well as I like to think, but I am… was, his only friend. Wouldn't Thomas have warned me? Possibly not, but there weren't any signs of suicidal thoughts, and I'm good at picking up things like that.

Oh, forget about it Lewis, you're just overreacting. Thomas will be… is fine! Worst-case scenario, he had enough, packed his bags, and left… Alright, that isn't the worst-case scenario, but I don't want to think about the alternatives…

"Lewis, could you come downstairs and help me with the recycling?" Mother and chores…

"Yes mum, I'll be down in a minute."

For goodness sake, doesn't she realise that I'm in a bad state of mind right now? I mean, my best friend flat out disappeared! I can't just get on with life as if nothing happened!

Walking downstairs, I really hope Mum hasn't let the recycling pile up like she did the last few weeks… I had to say it didn't I?

(Time skip)

Collapsing in bed, I really hope that Thomas turns up again soon. I know that he hated his life, and that he wanted to get away from all this, but I can't rest easy without the knowledge that he's okay.

Closing my eyes, I fall asleep almost immediately. Just before I completely lose consciousness, I feel a slight tugging sensation above me…

(Time skip)

Ow, my head… wait, is it me, or is their grass underneath me? Opening my eyes, I find that my skin does not, in fact, deceive me. I am lying on grass. Panicking, I try to jump to my feet, only to feel a sudden pain in my back. Dammit! I can't stay here, I'll end up dead if I do. Slowly standing up, ignoring the pain, I quickly glance at my surroundings. Multiple trees, short grass, and… a large temple on top of a cliff in the distance? The foliage is making it difficult to see. Well, at least I have a destination now… but how did I get here? The last thing I remember is falling asleep, and I think I'd remember getting teleported into the middle of nowhere…

Suddenly, I realise something. My clothing is gone! Panicking, I quickly glance around until my eyes fall on my arm… Scales. Silver scales. What?! Since when…?! How even…?! You know what, I should probably stop questioning it before I go insane… I'm probably already insane… Why is my head spinning…?

(Obsidian's POV)

"You filthy *** ******* ***** ****…"

Alright, I surprised myself with that particular string of curses… Then again, these training dummies are ridiculously tough, so I suppose I'm excused there…

I have been training rigorously for the past 2 weeks, and it must be said, I've improved considerably. I've gone from barely being able to beat the weakest dummy, to being able to take on a large-size ape dummy without breaking more than a couple of bones. Anyways, back to the task at hand, killing this batch of ape dummies!

Looking around, I make mental notes on my enemies… 4 small apes, and one medium ape. Semicircle formation, medium ape in the middle. Quite challenging all things considered. My best bet: letting the smaller apes charge to their deaths, then taking my time with the larger ape.

 **WARNING: VIOLENCE AHEAD**

Unfortunately for me, all the apes, including the larger ape, attack me at once. Smart, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. The small ape from the far left reaches me first. Swinging his club in a sweeping motion, I catch the strike with my right paw before stabbing the throat of the wooden dummy with my claws. Jerking my tail blade backwards, I meet slight resistance. I must have hit something, and probably impaled that something.

Dislodging my claws from the dead ape's throat, I barely have time to react to a sudden pain in my side. MUCH worse than what the smaller dummies inflict, so I'm assuming that I got hit by the big boy. Fortunately for me I discovered something… unique, about my element. It responds, without my consent, to two things. Anger, and pain.

Blood quickly flowing to my eyes, I easily recognise the tell-tale signs of my element emerging. I don't have much control over it, but the passive effects are always the same. Heightened strength, adrenalin rush, plain stupid amounts of rage, and clearer vision. According to Volteer, my eyes go bloodshot whenever this happens, and a fiery glow appears from beneath my scales. Intimidating, but since it only reacts reliably to anger and pain… not as useful, or as reliable, as a simple fireball.

As soon as my element finishes manifesting itself, I turn towards the nearest dummy, an unfortunate small ape, and rip it's arms off. If I was fighting a live creature there would be screams of agony. Turning towards the next dummy, I use the severed arms as makeshift clubs, causing the wooden skull of the poor thing to cave in. Discarding the now battered and useless limbs, I turn towards the large ape. Fearless, but it is an emotionless training device…

Dashing towards the medium sized dummy, I grab hold of it by the throat, lift it of the ground, and start _squeezing_. Not much to see, since wooden dummies don't react the same way as the living thing, but my foreleg/arm is being clawed at all the same. Squeezing harder, the neck of the training instrument finally gives way, and collapses…

 **VIOLENCE ENDS**

Throwing the lifeless wood down on the ground, I turn towards Volteer. Unfortunately, before I can ask how I did, a loud explosion sounds through the temple. And here I was hoping I would get a peaceful day today…

(Time skip)

Flying. As much as I enjoyed it, that didn't make it any easier. Just because some random meditation session taught me how to fly doesn't make me any good at it… Straits I can handle. It is the turns I have trouble with…

The Guardians sent me, Spyro, and Cynder out in different directions in an attempt to find the source of the explosion. Considering the amount of noise created, a simple lap or two around the temple would probably have sufficed, but noooo, we have to search everywhere… It is times like this I question how Malefor didn't succeed.

Spotting something in the foliage, I fly down towards the forest below me. As I get closer, a silver gleam catches my eye. Probably some metal, but better safe than sorry.

Once it becomes possible for the individual trees to be distinguished from each other, I notice that it was not, in fact, metal that caught my eye. It was an unconscious silver-scaled dragon. Well, I might as well ask the dragon a few questions… correction, more than a few questions…

Landing next to the unconscious form of the downed dragon, I patiently wait for it to wake up. Correction, HE, not it. If Spyro and Cynder are anything to go by, there is too little form for this dragon to be anything other than a male…

(Lewis White's POV)

Zzzzzz… so sleepy… I'm going to wake up in my bed any minute now…

Unless a… lizard of some sort decides to start nudging my head! Seriously, does no-one ever respect boundaries? Or am I imagining things? Probably the latter… I hope it's the latter…

Opening my eyes, painfully thanks to the sun, I find that I'm being nudged by the head of a large, black lizard! Panic sets in, paralysing me in fear. I'm going to die, I'm going to die, this stupid lizard is going to eat me, I'm going to die…

"You alright?"

What? A lizard that speaks? What even… you know what, I'm not going to question why a lizard can speak… but why does the voice of this lizard seem familiar…?

"Can you even speak?"

Well… I haven't tried yet… although I'm probably going to pass out any minute now…

Well, I should at least try to reply… I think…

"Yes… err… my name is Lewis White… could you, err, give me some help here?"

It was at that point that I noticed the wings on the back of the black lizard… wait, a dragon?! This is getting more ridiculous by the second…

"Lewis? Lewis White?"

Why does that voice sound familiar…? I swear it belongs to someone I know, but I can't place who… I'll have to ask…

"Do I know you?"

I have no idea who this is, but it can't be coincidence that I recognise that voice… can it? I normally believe in coincidence, but…

"Really? You don't recognise my voice?" I do, I just can't place it… "For goodness sake Lewis, what was it you said the night before I disappeared…? Something along the lines of 'Let me handle Hura for you' am I right?"

Hold on… the night before who disappe… But that is impossible!

"Thomas…?"

The black dragon nodded, and my brain decides it cannot handle it anymore. My legs give way, and I lose consciousness…

 **Sorry about the late upload. I'd also like to give a quick thanks to SnickerToodles for A. the review and advice he gave me, and B. for recommending Aimless by TheSilentInsomniac. If possible, have a read of the review SnickerToodles gave me, if only to laugh at the mistakes I've made. See you next time…**


	8. 7: Blood, Steel, and Mithril

**Chapter 7: Blood, Steel, and Mithril**

 **Authors Notes: I am aware that for the last couple of chapters I have almost completely ignored the existence of Spyro and Cynder. That was to avoid having to confront the 'Obsidian chokes Spyro' situation, a bit of a **** move on my part. Hopefully, by the end of this chapter, the two (Four if you include Cynder and Sparx) will have either 'made up' so to speak, or will be permanently hostile towards each other.**

 **A quick warning: This chapter WILL feature violence, and some people may find it disturbing.**

 **Enjoy!**

(Lewis White's POV)

Ow… what I weird dream I had last night… I dreamt that I got turned into a scaly beast of some description, and that a black dragon could speak… and that the black dragon was Thomas Dickson. Weird actually doesn't quite cut it… Insane maybe? Crazy? Stupid? All of the above?

Opening my eyes, the first thing I see is… a black dragon sitting by a fireplace? Alright universe, I get it, this isn't a dream!

"You're awake." Definitely not a dream then… almost a shame. I'd almost beaten Dead Cells before I got transported here… "So, Lewis White, am I right?"

"Yes, you are right… If you don't mind me asking, why are you a dragon?"

"Half dragon actually. I still have opposable thumbs, and I can walk on my back legs. But, to answer your question, I have no idea." Well shucks, I was hoping for answers… "The real question is, why are you a dragon?"

Wait, why am I a dragon? I mean, there are scales on my arms and legs, but… Turning my head around, my new, elongated neck helping, I can see… Blue wing membranes?! Since when…

"If it makes you feel any better," Which it probably won't, since this is Thomas… "You're taking this a lot better than I was." You don't say? "I pretty much had no reaction whatsoever, you at least reacted."

Gee, thanks for nothing Thomas, just what I needed to hear…

"Thomas, do you know how I am supposed to get home?"

I mean, I have friends in school, a family, a home, and I still have Demon Souls to beat…

"No idea." Well _that's_ helpful… "And my name is Obsidian now, the name Thomas would be seen as odd here."

"You know where we are Thoma… Obsidian?"

Obsidian seems a little… tense. No idea why…

Suddenly, Obsidian jumps to his feet… or paws, since he's now a dragon… and starts… growling? Since when…

"I know you're there. About, hmm, four of you if the scent is anything to go by, and you aren't making any attempt at being stealthy." What the jam sandwich is Thomas… correction, Obsidian talking about? "I won't ask again, come out into the open."

Once Thomas… Obsidian, finished speaking, 4… APES?!... come out of the bushes, brandishing clubs. All of them are far too small to be considered a real threat, but still, apes?!

The most well dressed of the apes, which isn't saying much, steps forward and opens his mouth.

"We are here to exact revenge on you dragons." Well THAT is just great. I get turned into a dragon, and then I get murdered by these laughably pathetic apes because I look like a dragon! What is this, racism taken beyond the extreme?!

Obsidian seems… amused by this. Why amused? Personally, I'm losing my ****, why isn't Obsidian losing his?

"I'm going to give you one warning. Leave now, and I might consider letting you have a chance at escaping with most of your limbs."

What? Aright, so… Thomas/Obsidian _might consider_ giving these apes a _chance_ at escaping with _most_ of their limbs? Am I the only person confused by what he just said? That sounded more like a threat than a warning.

With a sadistic smile, Obsidian launched himself at the nearest ape and buried his claws in the throat of the poor being…

(Obsidian's POV)

"We are here to exact revenge on you dragons."

So… 4 small apes are here to exact revenge on half-dragons who had nothing to do with Malefor's defeat? Good joke…

"I'm going to give you one warning. Leave now, and I might consider letting you have a chance at escaping with most of your limbs."

 **VIOLENCE AHEAD**

The confused expressions on the Apes faces gave me the window of opportunity I need. Dashing forward with a sadistic smile, I bury my claws in the face of the nearest ape. This is… very different from fighting wooden dummies. Flesh is _much_ easier to sink sharp objects into than wood, and I can _feel_ the blood pouring onto my claws…

Shaking these thoughts from my head, I turn towards the three remaining apes. They seem to have regained their bearings, and are readying their weapons. HAH! As if those simple clubs will be able to do anything to me. If anything, the pain will only make things easier for me…

Shifting the majority of my weight onto my hind legs, I prepare to preform the lethal counter I have been practising for the last week. Thank goodness for tail-blades, all I can say…

The two grunt apes, noticeably thicker than their leader, (No not the hot type of thick, the dumb-as-mud-stuck-in-a-puddle-of-**** thick.) charge at me, clubs raised above their heads. Seriously, I was expecting this to be tougher than training, not easier…

Both apes reach me at the same time, and predictably, they both swing their clubs down at the same time. Bringing both my front paws up, I catch both clubs with relative ease, that ease being relative to the difficulty with catching the clubs of wooden dummies, and wrench them from the apes' hands with a single, quick pull. Tossing the clubs aside, I launch myself at the ape on my left, maw open, and implant my teeth firmly in the throat of the ape. At the same time, I flick my tail to the right. The sudden rush of warm liquid, and the lack of a scream, tells me that I've hit the neck of an ape, decapitating it in an instant.

Releasing the corpse in my maw, I turn towards the leader of this no-longer merry little band. He stinks of fear, mostly because of the fresh urine in his trousers, and his club isn't even raised above his head. Hmm… I wonder… maybe Lewis would like a demonstration? It couldn't hurt, even if the concentration required for even the smallest fireball is off the charts.

Keeping my eyes trained on the ape leader, I follow the instructions Volteer has been etching into my brain for the past 2 weeks. Search yourself for a power, allow that power to flow to your maw, and open up. The only difference here is that, annoyingly, my element only truly emerges when I am either wounded, or well and truly ****ed off. So, I'm probably only going to get a small fireball, but I expect Lewis wants a demonstration, so it is good courtesy to give him one…

OW MY THROAT!

Opening my maw out of instinct, a small, light-absorbing fireball launches out of my throat, leaving a trail of darkness behind it. The difference between now and training… my target is much closer than the wooden targets Volteer has me use.

(Lewis White's POV)

I could hardly believe my eyes. Thomas… no, Obsidian, had just decimated the three ape soldiers accompanying the leader of this group of apes in the most brutal way imaginable, before killing the leader in one of the most painful ways in existence! How is he not horrified by his own actions? Oh wait… unlike me, he's been abused by his grandfather for years. Of course, he'd have been de-sensitised to blood and gore.

Getting back on all four legs, I expect Obsidian to launch himself at the last ape. Nope. Instead, his eyes are filled with a fiery orange glow, his maw opens and…

I can hardly believe what I see. Yes, dragons can breathe fire, but a fireball that absorbs light, and trails darkness?! What happened to Obsidian, did he get turned into the dragon version of Sauron or something?

When the fireball is about to connect with the ape, I look away… but that doesn't spare me from the screams of agony that follow. How can anyone be cruel enough to burn someone alive? How can a living, breathing person kill 4 intelligent beings without second thoughts? Worse still, how can the person who did all that be my best friend, Thomas Dickson?

 **VIOLENCE ENDS**

No. This isn't Thomas Dickson. This is Obsidian. Thomas died, and Obsidian took his place. Thomas would never willingly kill another living being. Obsidian killed without a second thought. Perhaps the two are the same being, but that doesn't matter. What does matter, is that I can't be the friend of someone who kills without remorse… like Obsidian.

Obsidian turns to face me, his scales covered in blood. Only one thought is going through my brain right now…

"Why…?"

I know why, these apes were going to kill us, but still, why? There might have been a way to resolve this peacefully, for goodness sake! Why resort to violence before giving the apes a proper chance to leave?

"Because they are the enemy. They wanted us dead, and they worked with the villain of this particular story to destroy the world." Really? THAT is your excuse? THAT is why you have become Obsidian? "I realise that there may have been an alternative way to deal with that conflict, but the fewer apes there are, the lower the chance of innocents being harmed."

The lack of remorse in Obsidian's voice… I can't, I won't accept this as fact! Some of these… apes… can't be that bad, can they? Some of them must be willing to live peacefully, I'm sure of it!

When Obsidian seemed to have finished speaking, I made the stupidest, but luckiest, decision of my life.

I ran towards the temple in the distance. I didn't look back. I climbed the chain tethering the floating island to the ground, not even bothering to question anything. And when I reached the grassy surface of the floating rock, my brain gave up on me, and the world temporarily disappeared.

(Time skip)

(Spyro's POV)

"How is he Terrador?"

I'm really worried about this new dragon Obsidian brought in half an hour ago. While the dragon himself might have climbed up the pillar, Obsidian found him… Obsidian…

Why did Obsidian choke me those two weeks ago? I mean, I've done things I regret while in my dark form, but Obsidian was acting like a friend when I met him, and I have no memory of outright attacking my friends while in my dark form…

"He'll be fine Spyro. He's just unconscious, and he'll wake up in the next few hours."

"That's a relief…"

All things considered, I'm not sure why I am so worried about this dragon. According to Obsidian, this is a friend of his from a while back, but Obsidian didn't say anything else. A silver dragon, light blue wing membranes, and a similar body structure to Obsidian's own? Even… Ignitus… would be suspicious at this turn of events…

"Spyro."

The hauntingly familiar voice almost echoes from the door of the infirmary. Obsidian. I need to talk to him.

While walking up to the black dragon, I notice something. Obsidian's scars, they don't look like the kind made from claws, or even swords. They look more like the kind received from… beatings? But Obsidian never said anything about being tortured… or imprisoned…

"What is it Obsidian?"

The black dragon has been avoiding me ever since the incident. This is either important, or about the incident…

"I would like to… apologise, about the 'incident', where I placed you in a chokehold. I quite literally had no idea what I was doing." Is it me, or is Obsidian's voice almost… sad? "I'm not asking you to forgive me, I'm asking you not to resent me for what happened."

"Forgiven." I do not bear grudges, after all. "You slipped into your dark form. You were not in control of your actions."

A slight smile crept up Obsidian's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Thanks, Spyro…" The sadness in Obsidian's voice is unmistakable. "Now if you don't mind, I would like some time with my friend. Alone."

Terrador left as soon as he heard this. It is only good courtesy, so I might as well…

(Obsidian's POV)

Once Spyro and Terrador left, I turned towards Lewis. I need to think up a name for him, fast. He needs a name that feels draconic in origin… Silver? Definitely not. Too obvious. Chrome? Possibly, I'll have to keep that one in mind… Steel? No, to closely related to the earth element… Aluminium? If the speed he runs at is anything to go by, possibly… What about Mithril? Silver, lightweight, connected with LOTR, Lewis' obsession, and it shouldn't arouse as much suspicion as any other name I can think of…

Suddenly, Lewis stirs. Moving beside his bed, I really, _really_ hope that he won't freak out when he sees me. I will admit that I enjoyed the feeling of blood on my… scales, but that didn't show… did it?

(Lewis White's POV)

My head… I really wish that I was in my bed right now, but recent events have almost confirmed that I'm not dreaming… I really am in some fantasy world right now…

Opening my eyes, the first thing I see is the face of Obsidian. And to my surprise, there is a look of _concern_ on the mentioned face…

"Ah, you're awake…"

Obsidian sounds… nervous? Maybe he isn't the emotionless killer I thought him to be… maybe Thomas is still in there somewhere…

"Yeah, I'm awake. I've got the mother of all headaches, but I'm awake."

I'm lying about the headache bit, but I need to know if Obsidian feels anything. I need to know if this really is Thomas… or Obsidian.

"The headache will fade over a few hours. Terrador would tell you that a drink helps, but don't bother. Just dunk your head in the water instead, it is much more effective."

Ha. Ha. Ha. Well, with Obsidian's very bad attempt at humour put to the side, it is good to know that Thomas is still in there, and that he cares… Maybe…

"Thomas?"

"Correction, Obsidian, but yes?"

I catch my breath before asking this question…

"Did you feel anything when you killed those apes? I know it was necessary, but did you feel any remorse?"

Obsidian's face twisted, almost with pain.

"Not at the time. In fact, at the time I enjoyed it." My heart sank… a remorseless killer… "Later, though, I did feel guilty. Not just for killing them, but for enjoying it."

*Sigh* So not a remorseless killer then. If anything, a _remorseful_ killer. At least I can feel comfortable around Thomas again…

"Sorry, I had to ask."

Obsidian's head suddenly springs up.

"Hang on, we need to talk about something." I'm listening… "Your name, it doesn't work. Here, draconic names are almost always directly related to the dragon belonging to that name." I see where you're going with this… "You can't stick with Lewis White, just as I couldn't stick with Thomas Dickson. You need a new name."

"And…?"

I'm apprehensive. I really, _really_ hope Obsidian has thought this one through.

"I've gotten you a name. Since I don't know your element, I've come up with a name based on your scale colour."

"That name had better not be 'silver'"

I'm starting to feel like I'm with Thomas again. Hell, put a TV in front of me and it would be just like old times!

"Trust me, you'll like this one." Will I? "You have a LOTR obsession, so I gave you a name related to LOTR, and related to your scale colour. I'll give you a hint, the dwarves of Moria mined it by day and night."

My brain came to the correct conclusion before Obsidian even finished speaking.

"Mithril."

 **And, that wraps up this chapter. Longest chapter so far, surprised myself actually. Anyway, I haven't technically introduced a new character here, I've just re-introduced one. To SnickerToodles, yes, this is how I'm getting around Obsidian not wanting to go back to Earth.**

 **The next chapter will be where I'm introducing the new dragons. If anyone has any last-minute suggestions, now is the best time to give me them. I don't care if you decide to give me the suggestions via an arrow to the knee (Skyrim reference)!**

 **If and when you decide to review my writing, try to point out my failures. At worst, I'll get a couple of chuckles out of the review, and at best you'll have permanently improved my writing.**

 **See you next time…**


	9. 8: A Volcanic Development

**Chapter 8: A volcanic Development**

 **Authors notes: An odd chapter name, but since this chapter is re-focusing the story on Obsidian, I thought I'd name it fittingly. There is roughly a 1-hour gap between this chapter and the last one, simply because I couldn't come up with a good way to pick up directly from the last chapter.**

 **Enough said, enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

That… could have gone better… I wasn't lying when I said that I felt guilty about that fight, but I also wasn't lying when I said that I enjoyed killing… *Sigh* I'm not looking forward to explaining this to Spyro, Cynder, and the Guardians…

"Oi! Obsidian!"

Not now Sparx… I just explained to Lewis that he needed a new name, and that I enjoyed killing apes more than dummies, could you please give me a minute?!

Of course not, you need me for something, and I'm internally monologuing…

"This had better be good Sparx, I'm in a foul enough mood as is."

Sometimes I wish the things that come out of my mouth – sorry, maw – are lies. This is one of those times.

"The Guardians want to meet you, Spyro, Cynder," You are making no attempt to hide your disgust Sparx… "and the new dragon, in the room with the Pool of Visions. Something about an urgent matter that needs discussing…"

I see… So, I need to fetch Lewis, now Mithril, and drag him to the Vision room. As if my day couldn't get any worse…

"I'll fetch him. And Sparx, try to tone down your disgust."

With that parting phrase, I retrace my steps back towards the infirmary. Mithril will not be happy…

(Time skip)

"Good, you're all here." Terrador, you don't need to state the obvious… "We gathered the four of you here to… explain the current situation. Before we do that, would you please introduce your friend, Obsidian?"

And this is the bit I wasn't looking forward to…

"He can introduce himself. I don't want a repeat of the way you introduced yourselves to me, hint hint."

Not only is it polite to ask someone to introduce themselves, it also establishes a basic level of trust. Or, to be more accurate, that is how it works with me. I can't speak for other people.

"My name" Moment of truth… "is Mithril. And I have no idea how I got here, what my 'element' is, or how to fly…"

So basically, you're using the same story I used, bar the fact that Spyro taught me the basics of flight. I really hope Mithril remembers his Spyro lore… This is either going to go brilliantly, or awfully. No middle ground.

The Guardians look… suspicious, to say the least, but they seem to buy it for now… thank goodness…

Spyro and Cynder, on the other hand, don't seem to buy it… Not good, not good at all…

"Alright…" Spyro, don't… "So you and Obsidian both arrived with no idea how you got here, no idea how to use your element, and no idea how to fly?" DON'T… "Seems a bit suspicious to me…"

Well, I might as well intervene…

"Spyro, I respect you and Cynder, but that doesn't mean I respect the Guardians. I'm not ready for them to know everything, and while our stories are completely true, I'm not ready for the three Guardians here to know everything. If either me or Mithril here told you or Cynder everything about our past, you would go running to the Guardians and tell them everything we don't need them knowing."

That seemed to get Spyro and Cynder to calm down a bit, but the Guardians… well, I'd rather take both bullets than let Mithril take one of them…

"Yes, yes…" Well, at least Cyril has a cool head on his shoulders. (10/10 joke…) "As fascinating as this is, your pasts aren't the reason we brought you here." What…? "We need to tell you four something…"

"I'm assuming you are all aware about the temple raid 13 years ago?"

All 4 of us young-ish dragons nod our heads…

"Well… we weren't truthful when we said that all the eggs were there. Some couples took their eggs far away from the temple, afraid about putting all our eggs in one basket, so to speak." Wait… *sigh* I know where you're going with this one… "While most eggs were smashed, a few survived. The remaining parents are holding on to their hatchlings, but the orphans will be coming here for refuge…"

Alright, enough said, I'm tuning out now. I'm sure Spyro, Cynder, or Mithril will be able to fill me in on the details later…

(Time skip)

"So, let me get this straight. Most dragon eggs were at the temple, some were not, almost all eggs that were not survived, the hatchlings were protected by their parents, the 20 or so orphans are coming here, the Guardians will be teaching them everything they need to know, two days ago the group went missing, and the Guardians want us 4 to split up and find them?"

Spyro and Cynder are sitting uncomfortably on the floor. Probably expecting this sort of reaction from me…

"That about sums it up, yes."

Thank you Spyro, although you could have just said 'yes' and left it at that.

"Well, thanks. I'll travel with Mithril, you two can travel with each other and Sparx."

"Actually," Go on Cynder… "The Guardians want me to go with Mithril, and for you to go with Spyro."

Why am I not surprised? Hold on… oh, I'm not surprised because Spyro and Cynder are a thing, and the Guardians probably don't want that to get in the way of this little search.

"Well, I'd better educate Mithril on combat then." Since Mithril hasn't had any experience with combat outside video games, he should probable learn. I don't want Volteer teaching him, since 'trial by fire' almost got me killed when the electric Guardian tried it with me… "Since Mithril hasn't had to fight since… actually, ask him. Not my place to give out information like that."

Well, with the two lovebirds temporarily taken care of, time to go give Mithril an education on how to defend himself! This should go well…

…right?

(Time skip, day of the search)

For goodness sake, couldn't the Guardians have chosen a more pleasant time to leave? The rain is making it almost impossible to fly! …not that I'm much good at flying anyway, but that's beside the point. The point is, why a cold, windy, rainy day?

"How are you doing Obsidian?"

Brilliantly. Just brilliantly. Between the rain, the wind, and the cold, this couldn't be much better! Except for the part where it could be infinitely better, of course…

"Well enough Spyro, although this rain is going to make it impossible to sleep…"

Not that I care much. I've had my fair share of sleepless nights, so I'll be fine. It's Spyro I'm worried about. Yes, he beat Malefor at… 13 years of age, I believe, but still…!

Turning my head slightly, I notice that Spyro seems a little… upset?

"Let me guess, you're upset that Cynder isn't here right now, aren't you Spyro?"

Judging from Spyro's reaction, I'd say I've hit the jackpot. Yup, it hasn't been a day and he seems to miss Cynder. I don't know exactly what has been going on behind closed doors, but I can guess… if that one night on the journey here is anything to go by. Considering the age, probably play-fighting. I can't believe I mistook that for… _that…_ it seems rather obvious when you think about it… KILL ME…

Suddenly, an arrow lands in my tail.

I DIDN'T MEAN IT UNIVERSE, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

Losing the ability to control my tail, I quickly lose balance, and start falling…

"Obsidian!"

"Not now Spyro!"

This is going to hurt…

(Spyro's POV)

"Let me guess, you're upset that Cynder isn't here right now, aren't you Spyro?"

How did Obsidian know? Am I that easy to read, or has he been eavesdropping on me when I'm alone with Cynder? I mean, we've only been lightly wrestling, nothing more, but that could still be a give-away… Oh wait, on the journey to the temple he heard me and Cynder's private conversation…

Suddenly, an arrow flies into the air, and catches Obsidian on the underside of his tail. With the extra weight on the black dragon's tail, he loses control of his flight and begins falling.

"Obsidian!"

I don't know why, but I'm starting to panic. I've been through worse situations, and I've seen Obsidian in the training hall…

"Not now Spyro!"

Finally giving up on flying, Obsidian simple let's himself fall towards the trees… that is going to be painful…

"OWCH!"

If that scream is anything to go by, that was about as painful as I expected…

"Get off me. I SAID GET OFF!"

The shouting, along with the sudden lack of light directly below me, probably means that Obsidian is being attacked… Great Ancestors, I can't go one month without acquiring new experiences with danger, can I?

Flying down towards the forest, I hope Obsidian is okay…

(Obsidian's POV)

"OWCH!"

That was… rather painful… thank goodness for the branches that slowed my fall, all I can say…

Hold on… ow my eyes… here it comes…

What even… really? Apes? Here? I mean, I'm not surprised, someone must have shot me with that arrow, but still!

"Alright boss, we've got another one. That makes twenty-one!"

You've got what?! GET YOU'RE FILTHY HANDS OFF ME YOU DISGUSTING CREATURES!

"Get off me." When the largest of the apes reached for a muzzle… "I SAID GET OFF!"

And my world exploded.

(Unknown fire dragoness POV)

The poor dragon… those apes had just shot him out the sky with no warning at all… another one ready for 'execution' it seems…

"Alright boss, we've got another one. That makes twenty-one!"

The black dragon stirred at this. That makes no sense! The arrows used are covered in a liquid which is poisonous to dragons, how is this dragon able to shake it off!

When the apes started trying to put ropes on…

"Get off me." The largest ape reaches for a muzzle. "I SAID GET OFF!"

Suddenly, the black dragon's eyes went bloodshot, and began glowing a fiery orange. A similar orange glow is coming from between his scales too… Who is this dragon?

The explosion of movement… I couldn't keep track. One moment the Apes are reaching for their weapons, the next the closest apes are clutching their throats in shock while the black dragon shakes blood off from his claws… and the next moment, the black dragon turns… well, pitch black.

Screams. Choked gasps. The clash of leather armour on claws. I hardly see what's going on, so I don't bother relying on sight. When light finally returns to the area, the black dragon was a thing of nightmares… covered in blood, scales so dark they hold no reflection, eyes somehow glowing with darkness, fiery orange flames licking his body… No wonder this dragon wasn't affected by that poisoned arrow… he must be so corrupted by the dark elements that he is unaffected by poison!

Then, as quickly as the darkness appeared, all the light in the area was suddenly restored. The black dragon's eyes stopped glowing, and his scales suddenly became visible again… who is this? Is this the 'Dark Master' We've all heard so much about? But if it is, why did he kill the apes?

"Obsidian!"

Suddenly, a purple dragon flies down to this… Obsidian, I believe he was called. A purple dragon! I mean, the letter from the Guardians mentions a purple dragon saving the world, but I never thought I'd see him in person!

(Obsidian's POV)

"Obsidian!"

Really Spyro? NOW you fly down here to help, AFTER I've killed the ****** apes? Would it have hurt to, you know, fly down BEFORE I get ****** off?

On the plus side, at least that shout snapped me out of my rage. Not that I couldn't calm down by myself, but that would have taken time…

A sudden gust of wind to my left alerts me to Spyro landing.

"Not now Spyro, I'm busy trying to be disgusted with the scene around me.

THAT part was completely true. Try as I might, I can't find it in myself to be disgusted at all the carnage surrounding me.

 **Kill them.**

And I thought you'd had enough for the month?

 **I told you, I won't get out of your head until I see the bleeding corps-**

AND I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU, MY MIND IS MY OWN, **** OFF!

…

Right, with that mental distraction out of the way, time to free the dragons mentioned by that one ape… what did he say again? Something like 'That makes twenty-one dragons', right? Or was I delirious? Trauma to the head can do that to someone…

"Right… with disgust being out of the picture, you mind helping me find the… wait, there they are!"

Spotting the tied-up dragons mid-way through speaking, I decide to forgo the conversation and instead free the dragons the two of us were sent here to locate. This is going to take a while…

(Time skip)

Well, with the sun being down, it isn't exactly a good idea to head back to the temple. Spyro was the one who suggested we camp here, despite my many objections. Something along the lines of 'We'll sleep at the temple'… if memory serves, and my memory doesn't always serve, because of those many times my head has been between me, the wall, and the rage of a certain grandparent…

"um… hello?"

Excuse me universe, I'm trying to silently monologue for a bit here, could you please tell this… dragoness, if the voice is anything to go by… to leave me in peace?! I've _issues_ that need to be dealt with, starting with the mystery voice in my head.

"Did… did you hear me?"

Yes, I did hear you, I'm not responding because I'm having an internal monologue! Give me some space here! …maybe I shouldn't be so cold right now. It isn't helping my mental state, and I don't want to end up as the social outcast of the group…

Opening my left eye, thank goodness for the positioning of draconic eyeballs, it doesn't take long for me to notice a dragoness who seemed rather… you know what, I'm not going down that route, it'll only go poorly for me. Red scales, silver spines, a small silver horns, a cracked tail blade… I'm not going to continue…

Nodding for the dragoness to continue, I hope that my silence isn't mistaken for hostility. I'm not used to situations like this, (Would you be?) so I have no idea what to do or how to react. Best to just stay silent for now… I hope.

"I, err… I wanted to thank you for helping us out back there. And… if you… wouldn't mind, I've got a couple of… err… questions."

If I were still human, I would raise an eyebrow. Unfortunately, dragons don't have eyebrows, so instead I nod again.

(Unknown fire dragoness POV)

"Who was that?"

"Can we trust that dragon?"

"Of course, we can, he's with the purple dragon of legend!"

"That doesn't make him trustworthy. For all we know…"

Why with the constant arguing? The black dragon saved our lives, isn't that enough for us to trust him? I mean, yes, he wields an element darker than anything I've ever heard of, but that alone isn't a reason to distrust him!

Maybe I should talk to him, figure out whether or not he's trustworthy by myself… the purple dragon said not to disturb him, but what harm can come from it?

Quickly looking around, I notice the black dragon sitting quite a way from the bonfire… why not with the group? I hope he doesn't mind…

Walking next to the black dragon, somehow without stepping on any sticks, I really hope this doesn't go wrong... if it does, ancestors help me…

"um… hello?"

Why do I sound so nervous? I'm never this nervous… maybe it is something to do with the dragon… he does radiate a strange aura…

The dragon to my right doesn't respond, so I decide to give him another push.

"Did… did you hear me?"

Why am I this nervous?

The left eye of the black dragon opens, and stares right at me. I can see why the purple dragon told us not to speak with this dragon… he isn't exactly scary, but that eye looks… wrong.

Nodding for me to continue, I really hope this isn't going to get me into trouble…

"I, err… I wanted to thank you for helping us out back there. And… if you… wouldn't mind, I've got a couple of… err… questions."

Alright, I'm far more nervous than I should be, I've established that already, but this is getting ridiculous!

Nodding again for me to continue, I'm starting to wonder if this dragon knows how to speak… anyways, what questions exactly should I ask? What exactly is this dragon's element? Why does he have opposable thumbs? Does he have parents? How does he know the purple dragon? What is his past?

"Can we trust you?"

The words left my maw before I could realise what I was saying.

The black dragon turned his head slightly towards me before speaking.

"If you couldn't trust me, you'd all be dead by now." That was a tad grim… "And if anyone asks, my name is Obsidian."

Of course, I heard the purple dragon say his name earlier…

Well, what else to ask…

"Do yo-"

"If you're going to ask questions, I'm going to make that a two-way street." Right… what does he mean by that exactly? "How were you captured? From what little I saw, your group should have easily been able to take care of the apes, so why didn't you?"

That… is a sensitive subject… I was on guard that night…

"They attacked at night… I was on the first watch, I should have said something, but I thought it was a deer or something… they hit me with one of those poisoned arrows, then tied me up. I'm not sure about the rest of the details…"

Obsidian didn't seem best pleased by my explanation, but I was allowed my secrets… I saw more than I let on…

"Do you have a home? A family?"

Obsidian became visibly tense as soon as he heard the words.

"…Yes." He eventually answered. "I used to. And I'd rather drown than go back. Don't ask for details, there are a lot of unpleasant memories…" Obsidian unconsciously scratched one of his scars as he said this. Is that where he got all those scars from? And why would he rather die than go back? "Do you have any more questions?"

"Just one." In truth, I have loads more questions, but I don't think I'll like the answers to them… "Why do you have opposable thumbs?"

Obsidian then did the one thing I didn't expect. He laughed. Actually laughed! I never thought a dark dragon like him would be capable of laughter, but… well, first time for everything I suppose…

"HAHAHA!" What exactly is so funny? "I should have seen that one coming… sorry, laughing at my own failures…" Laughing at his own failures? That's a new one… "To answer your question, I'm a half dragon, not a full dragon, although I'm not sure what the other half is."

Only half dragon…? How is that possible…?

"You. Black scales." Oh… not now Iron… "Your name?"

(Obsidian's POV)

"You. Black scales. Your name?"

Let me guess, the ****hole of the group, am I right?

"Obsidian. Who's asking?"

"The name is Iron, and if you know what is good for you you'll stay out of my way."

Yup, the ****hole of the group. Why fate? Why are you so predictable?

"And here I was hoping for gratitude…" I let a slightly aggressive edge fill my voice. I don't want trouble, but I've know from experience what people like this Iron will do if left unchecked. " _You_ listen. If you want me out of your way, move out of mine. I just saved your life, you'd _think_ that would count for something, wouldn't you?"

"It would, if we could trust you." This again? I'm starting to think about teaching this guy a not-to-friendly lesson… "But a black dragon who literally controls and bends darkness to his will? Not happening."

Oh, I can bend darkness to my will, can I? Oh, now tell me the one where… NO **** SHERLOCK! Now go do something useful, like sleeping.

"Perceptive!" I state, sarcasm practically dripping from my maw. "I'm don't need or want trust from people like _you_. I want to be trusted by people who matter, and bullies like you don't fall into that category."

Iron gave me the 'You're dead' look.

"You want to say that again, sunshine?" The look in Iron's eyes alone… he really doesn't get the message, does he? "I don't take talk like that from my inferiors."

"Inferior?" HAH! This is laughable! A teen dragon trying to convince me, and himself, that he is above me, when I'm the one who rescued him! "Look, when you can infuse your element directly into your muscles, and when you can enhance your element by being harmed, then I'll consider you my equal. When you can get the chronicler to cater to your every need, then I'll consider you superior to me. Until either of those times, you're less than nothing to me." And for the killer line… I'm going to use a phrase from Shadow of Mordor… a modified one, anyway… "You're _shrak_ beneath my paw."

The look on Iron's face… priceless! He clearly didn't expect me to respond, so I suppose the look is excusable, but still!

"You… you…" Go on… "YOU FILTHY *****!"

If I hadn't spent the last two weeks in the training hall, I wouldn't be able to react to the clenched paw coming my way. Fortunately, my reflexes have been sharpened to a point, so… Move to the side, grab the foreleg, twist 200 degrees clockwise…

"OW!"

"I told you." Thank goodness, I've been practicing… no idea how I got this good in such a short amount of time, but still, thank goodness! "You are _shrak_ to me. I've taken things like that from bullies like you before, and none of them…" If I still had hold of Iron's foreleg, I'd twist it further… "NONE of them, are in a position where they can harm me as of now. So, do yourself a favour, and go find someone else to amuse yourself with."

With that, Iron picked himself up, and ran back towards the group fast enough to put Sonic the Hedgehog to shame.

Turning back to the dragoness next to me, I realise I never got her name.

"I never got your name. So, if you would be so kind, what is your name?"

The red dragoness seemed to… freeze up, before answering.

"Firana."

 **Well, with that chapter finally out of the way, I can get on to addressing slightly more (or less, depending on your opinion) important things.**

 **This is not the end of act 2, that is roughly 10 chapters away. I introduced Iron as the 'school bully', so to speak, simply because a group of 20 teenagers would have one. It goes without saying.**

 **There will be some Spyro x Cynder in future chapters, and there may or may not be some Obsidian x Firana in future chapters. I'm not sure. I'm not good at romance scenes, so no promises.**

 **The villain? I already have the villain in the story, he's already manipulating things, things which are obvious if you know what to look for. Problem is, most of you don't. Suffice to say, SLIGHT SPOILERS, that Malefor was fully responsible for his actions, but was manipulated from the beginning.**

 **Mithril? He's one of the main characters in the plot (Up to the beginning of Act 4 anyway), and he will really come into his own in Act 3. As for whether or not he gets home, I'm not sure. I'm tempted to leave it up to you readers, since the Private Message feature exists… To hell with it. I already have the 4 acts planned out, but smaller things like Mithril getting home, I haven't decided. So, please message me if you have any small things you want me to implement into the story, or if you want clarification.**

 **See you next time…**


	10. 9: Interests

**Chapter 9: Interests**

 **Alright, the last chapter turned out about 1000 words longer than I intended, but when I get an urge to write… Well, enough has been said really…**

 **For those of you who are confused by what I said about the villain, there are hints here and there. You just have to look for them, and keep an open mind. Look carefully in the writing. You may notice something out of place, like a character acting unusual… just a thought… :)**

 **One of the themes of this story is 'Power is Power'. To elaborate, that means that all forms of power, light and dark, can be used good or evil, but in the end, it is still power, and the only thing that matters is how it is used.**

 **Enough of that, enjoy!**

(Firana's POV)

It has only been half a day since my chat with Obsidian, but I have already made up my mind about him. He is trustworthy. There was that one word though… shrak… I wonder what it means? Nothing nice, considering the context that was used with the word…

"Ready to go again? No breaks until we reach the temple, anyone who can't keep up will be left behind!"

Alright, maybe I should reconsider my stance with Obsidian… then again, he means well. There's nothing wrong with warnings like that, as long as they aren't true…

Taking off, I found my thoughts once again drifting to Obsidian… He was nice enough, stood up to Iron, an impressive earth dragon no less, without breaking a sweat! And those scars… he must have been in quite a few fights, and from the looks of things I don't doubt that 'Sidian came out on top!

…Did I just give Obsidian a nickname? I had better not use that out loud, or people might get the wrong kind of thoughts…

A small voice in the back of my mind is telling me to ignore others, to just go on with it, but I shove that voice back down without a second thought. The last time I listened ended with me being ridiculed… I've had enough embarrassment in my life…

Before I realise what I've done, I find myself slightly behind Obsidian, at the perfect angle to observe him… Clumsy wing work, but I've seen worse… Those muscles could use a bit of work too, the amount of sweat…

No, stop there Firana! I don't need to go down that line of thought, or I'll be unable to sleep at night…

…But my eyes wander regardless. Obsidian's black scales reflect sunlight in a way I never though possible until now, and there seemed to be a fire underneath them… I wonder how-

"As much as I appreciate the attention, could you please, in the words of Sister Friede, avert thine eyes?"

"You have a sister?"

THAT was a shock. I never thought Obsidian would have sibli-

"No. In this case, 'sister' is a title of honour. It means 'Woman of the Faith'. And if you must know, she said that right before she tried to murder me."

What? Obsidian has dealt with murderers?

"She had a scythe and an impressive ability to control ice and black-flame. Thankfully I've been in enough combat to know my way around a sword…"

"You can use a sword?!"

I thought dragons couldn't use swords! Obsidian is full of surprises.

"In case your eyes aren't working, I have opposable thumbs. Kind of helps in that department."

Oh… thanks for making me feel stupid…

"Anyways, enough of that, back to the point. I appreciate the attention, but try not to stare."

It took a whole 3 seconds for me to realise what I was doing. As soon as those 3 seconds passed, I turned my head away to hide the blush that was developing on my cheeks. Males never get me to blush! How is Obsidian doing it?

Enough of that, just concentrate on flying. Maybe 'Sidian won't notice…

(Obsidian's POV)

"Anyways, enough of that, back to the point." I'm starting to think this dragoness has a crush on me… but I doubt that. All things considered, I'm not a romantic person, so the chances of that sort of thing happening are slim to none. "I appreciate the attention, but try not to stare."

3 seconds after I say those words, Firana turns her head away, and is… blushing?! Alright universe, why are you being so kind to me all of a sudden? Firstly, I permanently get away from Earth. Secondly, I'm turned into a dragon and I meet one of my favourite video game characters of all time. Thirdly, I end up with a dragoness who _likes_ me?! WHAT?! That is the last thing I'd expect from... you, universe!

"Aww, does someone like the evil black dragon?" I recognise that voice… Iron… "How cute."

Alright, this is not going to end well, but…

"Could you please think of something harmless to pass the time with, Iron? I don't know, go ask Spyro to give you the details of his adventures or something! I'm sure that would be more interesting than laughing at the embarrassment of Firana."

"I'll pass." THERE's a surprise… "Why don't you do something to help us pass the time, blacky?" BLACKY?! I… don't actually find that offensive, but still! "I'm sure you could give us a few tales of your evil exploits. Or maybe burst into song, or poem?"

Iron, you're digging yourself into a hole you can't get out of here… I'd happily recite tales of my accomplishments in video games! After all, there isn't much else for me to speak about… Although, I'll have to modify them, since I don't want to give away the fact that I'm from a different world… Or I could use the stories of others…

"I don't have many of my own tales to share, but I'd happily recite the exploits of others! Which one would you like to hear, _The Lord of the Rings, The Ringed City,_ or _the tale of Artorias the Abysswalker?_ "

The latter two were derived from the lore of the Dark Souls series, but no-one needs to know that… Although the fact that no-one is making any requests means that I have well and truly-

"How about _The Ringed City?_ " Firana, not now, I was hoping to avoid having to wrack my brain for things like this… "I've never heard of a city like that, and-"

"I'll start from the beginning. I suspect you'll appreciate this story. It started thousands of years ago, before the dragons of this day…"

(Firana's POV)

"Which one would you like to hear? _The Lord of the Rings, The Ringed City,_ or _the tale of Artorias the Abysswalker?_ "

Hmm… well, if it gets the obvious embarrassment off my cheeks…

"How about _The Ringed City?_ " As much as I am interested in the other stories, I suspect the temple will be within sight after a one of them, so… "I've never heard of a city like that, and-"

"I'll start from the beginning. I suspect you'll appreciate this story." Will I? "It started thousands of years ago, before the dragons of this day…"

(All rights to Dark Souls, and the lore used here, belong to From-Software)

" _The world was unformed. A land of Archtrees, grey crags, and Everlasting Dragons."_ Everlasting dragons? Does he mean the original dragons? _"But then, there was Fire. And with Fire, came disparity. Heat, and Cold. Life, and Death. And of course, Light, and Dark."_ Is this another Creation story? If so, it is more interesting than all the previous ones. _"Then, from the Dark, they came. And they found souls of Lords within the First Flame. Nito, first of the dead. The witch of Izalith, and her daughters of Chaos. Gwyn, lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights. And the furtive Pygmy, so easily forgotten."_ This is much better than any other story I've heard. It seems thought out, and older than other stories… _"With the strength of Lords, they challenged the Dragons. Gwyn's spears of sunlight tore apart their stone scales. The witches weaved great fire-storms, burning the ancient homes of the dragons to the ground. Nito unleashed a plague of disease and death upon the land. Seath the Scale-less betrayed his own. And the Everlasting Dragons. Were. No. More."_

That is… surprisingly sad. The original dragons, killed for no apparent reason? Almost sad…

" _What wasn't told originally, though, is that the three Lords lost 3 score of their own for every dragon they felled in battle. So, they approached the Pygmy Lords, and their people of the Abyss, for help. The Pygmy Lords agreed, and sent their Ringed Knights to help fell the Ancient Dragons. But the three Lords feared the power of the Pygmies, since the weapons of their Knights were forged by the black fires of the Abyss, and betrayed a smidgen of life. So, they tricked the Pygmy Lords, and cast a seal of fire upon the Abyss, to contain and distort its' deadly power over life."_

" _When the war was over, Gwyn Lord of Sunlight gave the Pygmy Lords two gifts. A golden city at the world's end, and the youngest daughter of sunlight, Filianore, who had power over life and death. Almost all the Pygmies accepted, and those who did not were discreetly killed by the agents of Gwyn."_

" _Thus began, the Age of Fire."_

Obsidian stopped speaking suddenly, noticing something in the distance.

"And that is all we've got time for, since the Temple is now in sight, thank goodness. My wings feel like they're about to fall off."

"Great story, Obsidian."

I mean that. I can't believe that the original dragons were killed by such terrifying power, in such a horrible way… although it is harder to believe that those same dragons had stone scales…

"Thanks. Not all of the story is set in stone. A lot of the whole thing is speculation, so I left those parts out." That wasn't the whole story up until that point? "But anyway, the temple is just up ahead, so I had to stop anyway. Feel free to ask for more details later."

Why is 'Sidian being so polite? When Iron speaks to him-

"Yes, _brilliant_ story Blacky. Now tell us the one of the rainbow dragon, or the one of the flying Cheetah."

"As if you could do better. I'll have you know that I've seen the 'Ringed City' in person, not that you could travel there. As I said, it is literally at the end of the world. Getting there was a pain. I had to kill three separate giant bats, go through multiple giant winged insects, kill an especially talented pyromancer, and fly through a hurricane. Look me in the eye and tell me that you could do all that."

Glancing at Iron, it would seem that Obsidian got him to shut up. That never happens! No-one ever gets Iron to shut up!

(Obsidian's POV)

"…and fly through a hurricane. Look me in the eye and tell me that you could do all that."

When Iron didn't reply, the green scaled ******* son of a *****, I focus back on the temple. Only a few seconds away now…

(Time skip)

"Welcome to the Dragon Temple." Thank you, Cyril, for bothering to welcome the new arrivals instead of telling them that you don't trust them… "While most your age have gone to Warfang with their parents, since you lack parents you have instead been brought here. I trust that you were able to deal with any complications?"

"Yes." Iron… "No thanks to the black dragon over there. Seriously, I thought he was going to kill us when-"

"An unfortunate side effect from my element." I really hope this doesn't come back to bite me… "I can't really control it, since it only responds to anger and pain, so I don't blame you for being afraid of me." This WILL come back to bite me… "I can, however, blame you for antagonising me _after_ I'd finished dispatching the apes."

"And how were we supposed to trust you?" And you're asking me that question because… "You're a black dragon who can manipulate darkness. Wouldn't you find that suspicious?"

Many of the other dragons in the group are nodding their heads in agreement. Why do I even bother?

"How am I supposed to trust you?" A bit of an overused counter-argument on my end, but at least it is effective. "I'm shot down by apes, I kill the lot of them, and I rescue you lot. I could have killed the apes and left you there, but I helped cut you free." Obviously. Although, this lot seem to have a selective memory, so I felt the need to point it out. "I had no reason to trust you, but I freed you anyway. You ask why you should trust the dragon who killed your captors, when if I hadn't saved you… isn't that hypocritical of you?"

Well, at least I can be persuasive when I try. Most of the dragons are looking down in shame. Iron seems angry that I just 1-upped him in the argument department. Firana… really? Could you stop looking at me in _that_ way? I know a lot of male dragons can be thick-headed, but that doesn't mean you have to look at me like I'm something special!

"Yes, well, without further ado…"

(Time skip)

"…and this is the training hall!"

The tour has mostly gone without any problems, despite Iron constantly bugging me. Cyril had introduced the other Guardians, shown us the Library, and now we have been brought to the training hall.

I have a hunch that Cyril intends for me to fight in the training ring. I hope so. None of these other dragons, bar Spyro, seem to have any idea how to fight. Iron seems to have half an idea, but I doubt he'd be very good against a trained opponent…

"Obsidian, would you please step into the ring?"

(Firana's POV)

"Obsidian, would you please step into the ring?"

Hopefully I'll be able to see Obsidian fight this time. When he killed those apes, 'Sidian seemed to absorb the light around him, making it impossible to see what he was doing… I'd like to actually see him fight.

Once Obsidian stepped into the ring, a small wooden dummy appeared. Probably for target practice or something…

"Obsidian, would you mind showing the group how to-"

"You could have given me a moving target, you know."

Did he just interrupt one of the Guardians?

"That wouldn't suit the purpose of this demonstration. Now, could you please demonstrate a killing blow?"

Sighing, Obsidian walks towards the dummy, and… rips its head clean off its shoulders?!

"Now, could you please give me a _moving_ target, or should I be the one who spawns the dummies?"

"As you wish."

A large, wooden ape, with a hammer, appears in the centre of the ring. A large ape! How is Obsidian going to get out of this one?

"I had to open my maw, didn't I?"

Obsidian stares at the massive ape, as if waiting for something. For what? Does 'Sidian want the ape to charge at him? But… that's suicide!

The wooden monster charges towards Obsidian, hammer raised. At the last second, Obsidian dodges to the side and buries his claws in the neck of the beast. Not a lethal blow, since the ape swings his hammer around towards 'Sidian. Taking the blow full on, Obsidian crashes into the side of the ring…

When Obsidian gets up, I notice something. His eyes have gone bloodshot, and are glowing a fiery orange. A similar glow is coming from between his scales…

" **TOL ARCHAN!** "

With a foreign battle cry, Obsidian charges at the massive ape with a speed I've never seen before. Grabbing the hammer, Obsidian somehow wrenches it from the ape's grip, before swinging it at the beast's head. Dropping the hammer as soon as it connects with the ape's head, Obsidian follows up on his previous move by launching himself at the dummy's throat, tearing it out with a single, quick bite…

The ape dummy collapses backwards, clearly 'dead', and Obsidian gets off. His eyes are still bloodshot, but the fiery glow has subsided…

"I'm assuming that is all, Cyril?"

The hostility in 'Sidian's voice… it almost makes me want to run away in fear… but I'm too busy admiring Obsidian's form to be afraid. The sweat coming off his scales, the scars, the serrated tail blade, the black claws…

(Obsidian's POV)

"I'm assuming that is all, Cyril?"

Cyril looks… well, shocked, to say the least. I mean, I'm kind of shocked myself, but I never thought… Right, Cyril never saw me train, so he would be surprised. I'm surprised no-one told him about my abilities in the ring, but the Guardians could have been occupied with other…

Really, Firana? Could you stop admiring me for a moment? Seriously, it's starting to get creepy…

"Yes, Obsidian, that is all. Now, moving on to where you'll all be staying while here…

(Time skip)

"…and this is where you will be staying."

Really? Between the doors, room numbers, and lavatories, I couldn't tell… Thank you, Sherlock Homes, for enlightening me.

The teenage dragons all look… well, I'm starting to wonder why I rescued them. They all stare wide-eyed at the scene in front of them. A corridor, 13 rooms on either side, room numbers… Yup. No idea why I bothered rescuing these idiots…

"Dragonesses on the left, male Dragons on the right. Rooms 20-24 have already been taken. Find a room and get comfortable."

With that closing remark, Cyril leaves. And I was hoping for-

"Hi…"

Really, Firana? Could you save it for later…?

"Pick a room. You can speak to me in the morning, I need to rest after the fight with that dummy."

"But that's just it. How did you manage to kill that thing on your own?!"

Well, I might as well answer…

"My element responds to anger and pain. When the dummy hit me with its hammer, my element responded to the resulting pain. I simply substituted my own strength with that of my element, which allowed me to kill the stupid thing with relative ease."

That was only half the truth. The whole truth is that my element enhanced my strength without me telling it to… Sometimes I wish I could control my own power…

"Now, with all that said, go find a room. If you still want to talk, do so in the morning."

With that closing remark, I head off to my room, number 23. I hope that dissuades Firana from approaching me in the future. Not that I am against such a relationship, I just doubt that I am ready for one…

(Firana's POV)

"Now, with all that said, go find a room. If you still want to talk, do so in the morning."

Why does Obsidian keep giving me the cold shoulder? I mean, it isn't like I'm-

He's already gone. Great…

"Oh look, mister blacky is giving you the cold shoulder. What a shame, isn't it?"

Iron… not now, please…

Turning around to face Iron, I really hope this isn't going in _that_ direction…

"Well, listen here. Blacky isn't interested in you, he will never be interested in you, and if you know what is good for you, you'll lose interest in him."

"Take that back." Those words are surprisingly hurtful… "Please take that back…"

"Not a chance, red. No-one will ever be interested in you, least of all a black demon from convexity…"

Great ancestors… 'Sidian isn't that bad… is he…?

"You want to say that to my face?"

Iron suddenly seems scared… turning around, I can see why. Black dragon, bloodshot eyes, surrounded by a thin dark mist… Obsidian does look quite terrifying right now…

"I asked you a question, Iron. Let me ask you another one. Do you get some sort of sick pleasure from tormenting people? If so, then I suspect you and my claws will be getting _very_ well acquainted."

Did Obsidian just… threaten Iron?! Am I imagining this?

Snapping out of his trance-like fear, Iron stares down Obsidian, seemingly intent on ripping him limb from limb…

"You want to say that again?"

"No." Come on, you can take him Obsidian! "I see no need to repeat myself to an idiot."

Iron finally had enough, and lunged at 'Sidian, who simply slashed at Iron's face as soon as the bully got within range.

"You gotten the message yet? If not, I can give you a first-class education on the subject of _pain._ "

Iron seemed to back down after 'Sidian said this, since he walked off. While clutching his cheek, might I add.

Turning towards Obsidian, just as I was about to thank him…

"Save it for the morning. I've had a tiring day."

With that parting phrase, Obsidian started walking towards his room… why? Why the cold shoulder? Am I doing something wrong…? Or is he just not interested…?

I refuse to consider the last possibility…

 ***Sigh* Well, that chapter is finally out of the way. Yes, I know, a lot of filler text here, but I there wasn't much story to advance in this chapter, and I wanted more than 1000 words…**

 **Most of act 2 is filler, but I need a 'calm before the storm' so I dedicated this particular act to the 'calm'. There will be some minor conflict, and… well, SPOILER ALERT, the conflict will, despite all appearances, be the direct result of the interference of the villain of the story. Not much of a spoiler, unless you have a talent for thinking outside the box…**

 **Again, if you have any suggestions, feel free to make them. Constructive criticism is, and always will be, appreciated.**

 **Until next time…**


	11. 10: Yin and Yang

**Chapter 10: Yin and Yang**

 **And now we get to the main part of act 2… If you want to skip to the action, you'll have to wait a week or two. Most of the good stuff is in act 3 and act 4, so if you have no interest in 'filler' chapters, I'd recommend reading some other fiction. Aimless by TheSilentInsomniac is quite good, as are most of Shadowriser609's fanfics.**

 **There is some action in this chapter, but… well, you'll see why I named it 'Yin and Yang' if you reach it… :)**

 **If you want anything in particular to happen in this fiction, just message me. As I said, most of Act 2 is filler, so I'm free to implement whatever ideas you can come up with.**

 **With all that said, enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

(Dream)

 _A spinning, ebony ring. Pitch black runes cover the surface. The ring itself lacks any flaws, perfect in every way. Backing up, the ring is inside a hollow, purple crystal. It seems as if the crystal is filled with a liquid. Backing up further, the crystal is surrounded by what seem to be large portals._

 _A purple dragon, surrounded by convexity, flies down from above. Activating one of the portals, the dragon flies through. The portal closes just as a small, black dragon flies into the chamber. The dragon stares at the crystal in the centre of the room, before shattering it with a fist. The ring levitates in mid-air. The black dragon extends a paw, with an opposable thumb, and the ring puts itself on a claw…_

(Reality)

"*GASP*"

Waking up suddenly, I quickly clutch my head. That dream has left me with a bit of a headache. It is at times like these I miss the conveniences of earth, where you could just swallow a pill to deal with the pain…

That dream… it was exceptionally vivid, but I doubt it was anything important. Worst case scenario… Actually, I don't want to consider that.

Glancing at the window, it looks like the sun is rising. Well, I might as well go grab an early morning drink, if only to deal with my headache. Seriously, I never knew it was possible for one's head to hurt this much…

(Time skip)

Sometimes I wish the moles here knew how to cook. Seriously, raw mutton is difficult as hell to chew, even with my specially adapted draconic teeth! I would cook it myself, but I doubt my dark flames would do anything other than burn the meat…

"Obsidian!"

Hello again Mithril. Nice to know you remember me…

"Good to see you Mithril. How did it go?"

"Not well. Cynder was silent the whole time, and we found nothing. You find anything?"

Hmm… let me think… nope, just 20 captured dragons, and a group of apes. Nothing you'd be interested in…

"Well, me and Spyro found the dragons. They'd been captured by some apes. The apes tried to capture me too, but… well, I kind of exploded…"

I'm kind of ashamed of my anger from back then. I don't like how I lost control… or how I enjoyed mutilating the apes…

"Exploded? Anger issues again?"

"I DO NOT HAVE… alright, yes I have anger issues…"

Not that I like admitting it… at all…

"Well, at least your element responds to you. I can't seem to figure mine out! I'm going to be working with Volteer on that later today… you coming?"

Volteer?! For goodness sake… I told you to avoid his 'trial by fire' methods!

"I might. Just remember, 'trial by fire' almost got me killed. I dread to think how you will come out of it…"

"Come on Obsidian, I've beaten Dark So- mff!"

HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU… Wait, I haven't told you, have I?

"Don't mention that! Someone might figure us out!"

"Figure what out?"

Iron… I'm _this_ close to keeping my word on that 'first class education' I offered…

"That idiots like you need to mind their own business, or suffer the consequences."

"Don't play dumb, I heard the entire conversation."

I'm going to kill Mithril by the end of this…

"Then take your pick: spit roasted over a dark fire, or wings dislocated? Either way, I'm fulfilling my promise on the 'first class education' I offered on the subject of pain." Iron suddenly seems nervous… yup, he's afraid of me. "Neither? Then scram, and don't pursue this subject!"

I've never seen someone leave a room so fast. I swear, for a 'school bully', Iron is quite a weakling…

(Iron's POV)

"Then take your pick: spit roasted over a dark fire, or wings dislocated? Either way, I'm fulfilling my promise on the 'first class education' I offered on the subject of pain." Do you think you scare me, Obsidian? You're think you're all that, but you're just like all the rest of the… I take that back, the look on Obsidian's face is terrifying! "Neither? Than scram, and don't pursue this subject!"

I have never run so fast in my life. I would fly, but the 'cafeteria' is too small for that…

Going around the door, my gang is waiting patiently…

"Did he fall for it?"

Lightna, a young electric dragoness. Quite pleasing to the eye, and a good fighter.

"Yes. You all heard what he said to me?"

"All three of us did."

Bronze, an earth dragon like me. Almost as strong as I am, but he lacks my good looks.

"Right. As soon as the Guardians call us to the vision room, we tell them. Hopefully, we'll be able to get that devil kicked out before he causes us any trouble."

"So, which one of us spills the beans?"

Icicle, ice dragon. Cool headed, he was the one who suggested the plan to remove Blacky…

"I will. You three just need to back me up as witnesses."

Me, Bronze, and Icicle smile evilly. Lightna, however, seems concerned.

"There a problem, Lightna?"

"It's just… what if something goes wrong? You heard him earlier, his element responds to anger and pain. If we get him angry…"

"Stop there." I'm worried about that too, since we don't know the extents of Obsidian's power… "If Blacky tries anything, the three Guardians will stop him. Any questions?"

My three accomplices shake their heads. Obsidian is in for a surprise…

(Obsidian's POV)

(Time skip)

Walking towards the vision room at the appointed time, I hope this isn't going to be a 'school' thing. I've had more than enough of that back on earth, I don't need any more of it!

"Hello, Obsidian!"

Firana… I suppose I said that you could talk to me in the morning…

"What is it, Firana?"

I really hope this isn't going in the direction I think it's going in… I DO NOT need a relationship with anyone right now. I'm too busy trying to figure things out… like… alright, there is no reason I can't throw myself into a relationship, I just don't want this to go poorly!

"When you said that your element responds to anger and pain… what is your element exactly? I've never seen it before. Is it some form of dark element, or…?"

I was hoping to avoid that question, since I'm not sure what the answer is… Although…

"That wasn't the question you wanted to ask, was it?"

Firana looks… startled, to say the least.

"How did you know?"

A guess, and a theory… and the fact that you're trying to stick as close to me as possible…

"You are deliberately staying as close to me as physically possible. And you were holding your breath before asking." What can I say, I know how to read people… "So, what was it you wanted to ask?"

Firana seems… nervous, to say the least. I really hope this isn't-

"Obsidian, would you go out with me?"

 **WHAT THE HELL?!**

Alright… I kind of saw that one coming… after all, Firana has been attached to me since I rescued her and the other teenage dragons… How do I answer…? Should I say no?

 **Go on… agree…**

Really? Now of all times? Who are you anyway?

 **I'm your other half.**

So, you're the part of me that controls my power?

 **In a sense, yes. A more accurate way of putting it would be 'your draconic side'.**

I see… so… what was that about agreeing?

 **What's the harm?**

You make a compelling argument… alright… just don't try to take over my body, and we'll be fine.

 **I couldn't even if I wanted to…**

Anyways…

"I'll…" Is it me, or am I blushing like crazy? "err…" Oh, TO HELL WITH IT! "Yes, I will. Did you have a place in mind?"

"err…" HAH! You didn't think this one through, did you? "I know a good restaurant in Warfang."

Right… although, I'm not sure where Warfang is…

"So, which room number, and when should I pick you up?"

"Room 11. Sometime tomorrow evening. Work for you?"

"Works for me… now, could you please give me some space? I'm having difficulty thinking clearly."

(Firana's POV)

"Obsidian, would you go out with me?"

The expression on 'Sidian's face…! He looks beyond shocked! Almost like I just gave him a heart attack… although, I'm kind of surprised he isn't blushing… every dragon who has ever asked me out blushed like crazy while asking. Why isn't Obsidian when I'm asking him out?

"I'll…" Still not blushing, although 'Sidian seems embarrassed… "err…" Is he going to refuse? Please tell me he isn't going to refuse! "Yes, I will." THANK YOU, GREAT ANCESTORS! "Did you have a place in mind?"

"Err…" Damn, I didn't think that one through did I…? Although, I do know a couple of good places in Warfang… "I know a good restaurant in Warfang."

My cheeks feel hotter than a volcano right now… I'm surprised 'Sidian hasn't noticed… Or he has noticed, and is playing it off cool as an ice dragon.

"So, which room number, and when should I pick you up?"

Great ancestors, you could cook a chicken on my cheeks right now!

"Room 11. Sometime tomorrow evening. Work for you?"

"Works for me…" Thank the ancestors, I have the time to make a reservation! Thank goodness I have some pocket change left over from the war… "now, could you please give me some space? I'm having difficulty thinking clearly."

Difficulty thinking clearly? What is… wait… ah, male dragons have difficulty thinking when close to a dragoness for too long…

"Oh, sorry about that…"

"It's fine. It isn't impossible for me to think clearly, just difficult. Though, I would appreciate it if you could back up a little…"

(Obsidian's POV)

"It's fine. It isn't impossible for me to think clearly, it's just difficult. Though, I would appreciate it if you could back up a little…"

I can't believe Firana hasn't noticed my massive blush… or the sweet smell currently filling my nostrils. I'm not entirely sure what it is… probably pheromones, if my heartbeat is anything to go by, but that could be an unrelated issue.

Firana backs up slightly, and the smell seems to dissipate… slightly. Definitely pheromones. Damn… that would explain why I'm having difficulty thinking clearly…

Finally arriving at the large door to the vision room, already open thank goodness, I find that me and Firana are the only two who haven't already arrived…

Unfortunately, the Guardians look angry. At me, mostly…

"Firana, please take a seat. Obsidian, you had better explain yourself, quickly."

I have no idea what he is talking about… although, I suspect Iron had something to do with it, judging from the smirk on his face.

Firana takes a seat next to Cynder… I hope everyone blocks their ears, because I suspect that-

 **Yes, I'll probably be getting involved.**

Good. If it sounds like I'm getting angry, you know what to do.

 **With pleasure.**

My other half is definitely odd, but I'm an odd person… Anyways, back to the matter at hand, the Guardians.

"Could you explain what the problem is?"

"The problem, _young dragon_ " Cyril… DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, antagonise me. "Is that you threatened Iron earlier today. He has three witnesses. Apparently, you threatened to 'give him a first-class education on the subject of pain', am I right?"

That sounds about right…

"Yes, I did. Do you have a problem with that?"

"We have a massive issue with that, Obsidian." Volteer… "The fact is, you threatened to torture Iron here. That in itself is problematic. However, the fact that you did so without any provocation…"

Without any provocation, he says? HAH! …Give me a moment… Other me, now is a good time to- OW! Yup, do exactly that. I suspect I'll have to learn to live with the pain in my eyes…

" **Without provocation, you say? Threatened to torture, you say?"** My voice almost sounds demonic. Yup, exactly the effect I hoped for. **"Let me put that another way. Iron eavesdropped on a private conversation with Mithril. I'm assuming** _ **that**_ **counts as provocation?"**

"Is this true, Mithril?"

Mithril sighs, before giving his answer.

"Yes. Every word."

(Mithril's POV)

"Is this true, Mithril?"

Why bother asking me that? The anger in Obsidian's voice alone is enough to confirm the truth… although, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Guardians lack the brainpower to think this sort of thing through…

"Yes. Every word."

Obsidian visibly calms down as soon as the words leave my mouth… or maw. Whatever it is called.

"Iron, is this true?"

Iron seems visibly worried at this point… although it isn't Iron who answers…

"It is."

That came from a rather stunning electric dragon. Yellow scales, black spines and horns, very curvy… stop there, Lewis. Thoughts like that aren't natural… are they?

"Iron told me and the rest of his gang to act as witnesses to the incident. It was a set up to get Obsidian kicked out of the temple."

So, physically attractive, and daring! I can't imagine how angry Iron is going to be… or already is… betrayed by a member of his own gang…

"I see. Iron, meet with us later today. Obsidian, you can act as the demonstration guinea pig for the training sessions later today."

That was… cruel, to say the least… nice punishment Cyril. I don't doubt that Obsidian can take it.

"HAH! As if that is going to end well for anyone involved… I'll do it, but don't blame me if anyone gets injured."

I do NOT like that smirk…

"So, where were we… ah yes. What you will be doing while here…"

(Time skip)

Arriving at the training hall with Volteer, I really, _really_ hope that Obsidian doesn't seriously injure anyone. I've seen him training…

"So, Obsidian, could you please spawn some dummies, then proceed to kill them? You should give the class a demonstration. In the meantime, I will be teaching Mithril how to effectively wield his element."

"Works for me. Just don't be surprised by what I spawn…"

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I DO NOT like that smirk…

Walking to the side with Volteer, a target is set up a short distance away from me.

"Now Mithril. I want you to search yourself for a power inside you. Do you feel it?"

Closing my eyes and concentrating… yes, I do. There is an… energy, in my chest which wasn't there before.

Nodding my head, I really hope this won't go as poorly as Obsidian said it would…

"Now, let the power flow towards your maw. Don't force it to move, just let it."

Following Volteer's instructions to the letter, the energy flows towards my maw… I was not expecting this to be so easy…

Suddenly, out of instinct, I open my maw… and I wasn't expecting the result. A small, glowing ball of pale light flows out of my maw at breakneck speeds. When it hits the target, the light explodes, filling the room with a familiar silver light…

"OWCH!"

That was Obsidian… What happened?!

Turning around, I find that Obsidian is covered in fresh burn marks, and is covering his eyes with his paws… although, the other dragons look fine…

When the sliver light fades, Obsidian collapses, worn out by… whatever I just did…

Firana runs into the ring, oblivious to the blinded dummies, and tries to pull Obsidian out of the ring. Unfortunately, the dummies regain sight just as she is about to pull Obsidian out of the ring.

Charging into the ring out of instinct, I'm too concerned with the safety of my friend to bother worrying about my own safety… despite the fact that I'm probably going to end up dead by the end of this…

As soon as I enter the ring, the dummies shift their attention towards me. Not apes, but… Uruks?! THAT is bad, that is REALLY, REALLY bad… Opening my maw, I launch another, smaller ball of light towards the nearest uruk. The orb explodes on contact, turning the wooden uruk into a pile of dust… Is this the sort of power Obsidian felt when he rescued the dragons behind me? He didn't give me many details, but everyone else has been talking about nothing else…

Quickly shifting my focus, I notice two uruks charging at me, swords raised above their heads. Blocking one sword with my tail blade out of instinct, I quickly shove my maw towards the other dummy. My fangs connecting with the neck of the wooden uruk, I bite down as hard as possible, shaking my head to the left and right, instantly killing the dummy. Turning around, a sudden pain registers in my neck… Of course, by killing one uruk, I left myself open to attack from the remaining one…

I slam my fist on the ground in rage… and an explosion of light appears from where my paw connected with the ground! Without bothering to question what happened, I lunge at the blinded uruk. My claws connect with the forehead of the dummy, killing it instantly… but when a sudden pain connects with the side of my head, I can't help but fall to the floor…

I get what Obsidian meant by 'trial by fire' now. Volteer must have put him through something similar…

I look up, more out of fear than aggression or instinct, to notice the dummy about to deliver the killing blow. I let my head fall to the ground. I'm too weak to do anything…

A sudden, black blur flies over my head, intercepting the uruk just as it begins to make the fatal swing… since when…

Wooden limbs fly around the ring, screams of rage coming from the dark mist in the centre of the room… Obsidian…

Getting up painfully, I stare at the dark mist… I knew Obsidian could be lethal when angry, but this…?

(Obsidian's POV)

I opened my eyes to an uruk dummy knocking Mithril to the ground… and that was it. I completely lost it. I charged blindly at the dummy, ignoring the pain in my… everywhere. Tackling the uruk in a beastial frenzy, I tore off the limbs of the dummy, letting them fly where they pleased, before letting out screams of rage. The dummies I had spawned had almost killed my best friend… I was at fault, but I didn't care…

After what felt like a year, I finally calm down... only to be hit with the full pain of my burns…

"Owch… Does anyone have any red gems, or am I going to have to – OW! – go find a patch of them myself?"

Opening my eyes properly, everyone in the room seems… fearful?

"What? All I did was completely lose control of my emotions. It isn't as if I- wait… Ah, yeah, my element responds to anger – OW! – and pain, so…"

The pain finally becomes too much to bear, and I fall onto the ground.

"Obsidian!"

Firana…?

"I'm fine… Could someone get me some red gems please? These burns are extremely painful…"

(time skip)

(Firana's POV)

After healing up Obsidian, Volteer sent him to the infirmary. I'm not surprised. After all, that explosion of light seemed to strip the scales off his hide! I'm not sure how Obsidian managed to move like that through the pain…

The speed which Obsidian moved at… it defies all logic. I doubt a wind dragon could move that fast! One moment he was waking up in front of me, the next he's moving faster than the eye can track…

And to think that I've got a date with him tomorrow!

I'm walking towards the infirmary right now. I really, _really_ hope 'Sidian is alright… getting your scales burned off sounds, and looks, extremely painful!

Arriving at the infirmary door, I carefully push it open. The first thing I see is a black dragon, scales and all, lying on a white bed…

"Obsidian!"

I rush towards the bed, almost in tears over what happened… I would be in tears over that sort of thing happening to anyone, but the dragon I have an interest in…? Why is fate so cruel?

"I'm fine, Firana." Looking at Obsidian, his eyes are, once again, bloodshot… "A little sore, but I've… well, I actually haven't had worse, but still!"

The veins in 'Sidian's eyes… they look black. But that is impossible! How…

"You're eyes, Obsidian…"

"Bloodshot? Glowing with a fiery light? Black veins?"

Nodding slowly, I'm starting to wonder if this is connected with Obsidian's dark element…

"Yeah, a fortunate side effect of my element. I have black blood, and my eyes go bloodshot whenever I'm feeling strong emotion. When I'm angry, they glow with a dark flame."

That explains a lot… including why it Obsidian wasn't blushing when I asked him out. His blood is the same colour as his scales!

"Does this ruin our date?"

The laugh I get after I ask that question… well, there are no words.

"Of course not."

A sigh of relief escapes my maw. I thought that Obsidian might have used this as an excuse to cancel the date… The fact that he didn't shows that he's serious about it…

"Well…" I don't know what to say… "I won't cancel the reservation then."

'Sidian's right eye widens in a questioning way.

"You made a reservation?"

 **And with that, the chapter comes to a close. I had quite a lot of fun writing this one, especially with Mithril's element.**

 **Why is Mithril's element so powerful? It isn't. It cannot do serious harm to anyone who isn't corrupted by darkness. Obsidian's body is corrupted, even if his mind isn't, so Mithril's power can injure or even kill him. Hence the negative reaction Obsidian had to the first explosion of light.**

 **Before anyone asks, this synergises perfectly. Obsidian cannot really control his power unless he is angry, or in pain. Mithril's element causes Obsidian pain even when used in small quantities. This allows Obsidian to use his element while keeping a relatively cool head… Hence the 'Yin and Yang' chapter title.**

 **Until next time…**


	12. 11: Light for the Abyss

**Chapter 11: Light for the Abyss**

 **Yes, Firana and Obsidian are off on a first date… and this chapter is almost entirely dedicated to that. I doubt that this will be a good chapter, since I'm awful at romance scenes, so don't expect quality or quantity… well, maybe quantity… I don't really know…**

 **Sorry for the slightly late upload, I've fallen ill. I'll try not to let that get in the way of my writing, but unfortunately that is out of my control…**

 **With the A/N out of the way, enjoy!**

(Unknown POV)

Things are not going in the direction they should be. I've been engineering fate since my creation, so I should know. I manipulated Malefor since his hatching, eventually causing him to attempt to destroy the world… only for Spyro and Cynder to stop him. Those two SHOULD be mortal enemies at this point… yet they are practically mates…

Perhaps I should check the timeline again… after all, something changed the direction of fate…

Walking towards the small orb in the centre of the vortex, I place my paw on it… only to find that my suspicions are correct. Someone has been changing the direction of fate… but it isn't one of the Ancestors. No… fate is being changed by two dragons. One black as night, the other moonlight silver.

…could I use these two to my advantage? Perhaps. If they can change fate…

Pouring my power into the orb I'm resting my paw on, I visualise the timeline… but the direction it is going in is not set in stone. It is constantly changing. Focusing on the two new dragons, I force every ounce of my power towards manipulating them… but the energy never reaches them.

There is only one reason this can happen. These two exist partially outside the timeline, like me. This is bad. Very, very bad. They are inside the timeline, but they exist partially outside it. As long as they exist, the future will constantly change… which prevents me from accomplishing my end goals…

I consider my options, eventually settling on the last one. These two dragons must die. It shouldn't be too difficult. While I may not have power over the future anymore, I can still manipulate the present, to an extent…

(Obsidian's POV)

"You can't leave, your wounds have not fully healed yet!"

"My 'wounds' are what let me use my element."

"That doesn't change the fact that you aren't in any condition to-"

"I'm the best person to judge my own condition. After all, I'm the one who feels the pain."

"Pain which is dulled thanks to…"

For the love of all things holy… this mole is persistent, I'll give her that… but I have a date tonight, and I'm NOT going to be late…

"…so, you are not leaving, no matter your opinion."

Oh really? You aren't the one who gets more powerful the more pain you feel…

"Alright, we'll do this the hard way then…"

 **I was hoping you'd say that…**

Thank you, other me. How are my wounds?

 **Bad enough to cause you pain when moving, but healed enough to allow unimpaired movement.**

Good…

Allowing a smirk to cross my face, I feel the familiar sensation of blood traveling to my eyes… This nurse is going to get quite a shock…

Suddenly leaping to my paws, I dash towards the exit at breakneck speeds. Fortunately, the adrenalin in my system speeds up my reflexes, allowing me to stop before I hit the wall…

Although the friction on my paws doesn't help. I swear, I'm going to lose more scales in the next half hour…

Turning back towards the infirmary, the mole taking care of me looks… well, I'm not sure. Surprised?

"I told you earlier. I have a date tonight, and I refuse to be late for it."

Turning back towards the corridor, I slowly begin walking towards the dorms. Room… 11, wasn't it? What is the time… looking out the nearest window, sunset. DAMMIT, I'M GOING TO BE LATE!

Once again running at breakneck speeds, I reach room 11 before my I realise how long it took to get there… the infirmary is at the other side of the temple, how did I… you know what, I won't question it.

Raising a paw up to the door, I suddenly get nervous. I've never been out with someone before… except to the hospital, when Grandfather shattered my leg…

Slowly, I knock on the door… this had better not go as poorly as I'm expecting…

When the door opens, I get quite the shock. Firana has overdone it. Scales and horns polished, spines cleaned like individual mirrors, claws sharpened like knives… should I have left the infirmary earlier? I might have had time to clean myself up, hide my many scars… maybe even-

"Nice to see you, Obsidian."

Erm… I don't know what to say…

"Hi, Firana… you look…"

"Beautiful?" Since when were you a psychic? "Thanks, Obsidian. You don't look too bad yourself."

Are you kidding me? I look like I've just come out of a rough fight! …which technically I have, considering the regrown scales, but still!

"Thanks." I turn around, left eye still trained on Firana. "Shall we?"

Firana smiles, before walking towards the landing area.

 **You going to follow her, or am I going to have to give you a mental nudge?**

You just did give me a mental nudge!

Following Firana, it doesn't take long for me to catch up. Just as I'm about to ask a question, I feel a snake-like thing wrap around my tail. I must have given an obvious jump, since Firana looked at me with what I assume to be a questioning gaze.

"Am I moving too fast?" Ah, so you've wrapped your tail around mine? Surprising, but I'll go with it… "If so, I can-"

"I don't object, I just wasn't expecting it."

I swear, the smile on Firana's face is a little too large right now…

(Firana's POV)

Obsidian is fast when he wants to be. It barely takes three seconds for him to catch up with me. Smiling, I let my tail wrap around his… but I'm surprised when 'Sidian suddenly jumps.

"Am I moving too fast?" Possibly. This is only the first date after all… "If so, I can-"

"I don't object," Thank the ancestors… I was worried for a second. "I just wasn't expecting it."

The smile on my face grows larger with each word that comes out of Obsidian's maw…

The rest of the journey to the landing/take-off area is mostly silent. 'Sidian occasionally winces, but for the most part he seems fine…

Arriving at the landing/take-off area, I face Warfang… but just as I am about to take off, Obsidian interrupts me.

"Which way to Warfang?"

"You've never been to Warfang?"

THAT was a surprise…

"Not once."

"Well, just follow me then."

(Obsidian's POV)

"Which way to Warfang?"

"You've never been to Warfang?"

Of course not, I haven't been in the dragon realms for more than a few weeks yet!

"Not once."

Firana seems rather amused by this situation… I would be amused to, if our positions were switched, so I suppose a laugh is excusable…

"Well, just follow me then."

With that, Firana takes off. I'm honestly surprised by how easily she transitions from running to flying… then again, Firana has probably been flying for years, so she'd actually have some level of skill in flight… unlike yours truly.

Extending my wings, I slowly take off VTOL style. I've tried the runway method, but… well, I fell of the island last time, so I think I'll stick with VTOL take-offs and landings.

(Time skip)

Most of the flight progressed silently. Partially because I don't have much to talk about, but mostly because I couldn't keep my eyes off Firana. I have no idea why, but I can't stop admiring her. The way the sunlight reflected off Firana's red scales, the graceful movement of her wings, and her constantly moving tail… honestly, I'm starting to worry about whether I need a psychiatrist…

"We're almost there." Where? …oh, Warfang. I can't believe I forgot where the two of us are flying. "You should be able to see the city on the horizon."

Reluctantly, I shift my gaze towards the horizon… and I'm stunned by the sight. A walled city, filled with stone buildings. A few ruined structures on the left paw side of the city, but an impressive sight nonetheless… I can see why Firana wanted to come here.

While I'm taking in the sight of the city, a sudden… problem, hits me like a ton of bricks.

"How are we going to pay?"

I mean, me and Firana are going to a restaurant of sorts, who is paying? I don't have any money on me, so unless…

"What? You mean that you don't have any cash on you?"

Do I look like a walking bank? Of course, I don't have any cash on me!

"Really? Do I look a walking vault to you? I don't have a single coin on me, let alone enough to pay for a night out!"

"Well…" I see… You really didn't think this through, did you? "I suppose I could pay, but I was kind of expecting you to have… you know…"

"Yes, I very much do know. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm not a walking vault."

I'll have to sort that problem out later. Right now, I've got other things to worry about… like how far this is going to go.

(Time skip)

"So, this is it? _The Dragon's Hunt_?"

"Yup, this is it."

Not a very impressive building, but Firana has assured me that people don't come here for the way the place looks, but for the food… which had better be good, considering the state of this establishment. It is practically falling apart!

"Well, we'd better not keep the staff waiting."

I know, I know, I'm just trying to fathom why-

Entering the building, I immediately take back all the negative comments I just made. While the exterior of _The Dragon's Hunt_ isn't exactly pleasing to the eye, the interior… if I ever design a building, I am stealing this setup. Plenty of tables, more than enough room to allow privacy, but compact enough to allow maximum efficiency…

"Do you have a reservation?"

That came from a male cheetah. I suppose I didn't notice him while taking in the sight that is this restaurant… thus, is the folly of me…

"Yes. Under the name of 'Firana'."

"Let's see…" The cheetah examines the book in front of him, eventually looking back up. "Would you two please follow me?"

The cheetah leads us to a secluded table at the back of the establishment. The chairs set up have holes in them, presumably for our tails/wings.

Sitting down, I pick up the menu in front of me. The selection… well, I doubt I'll have any complaints. Hmm… roasted duck stew sounds nice… as does that mushroom soup… garlic mutton?! What kind of a meal is that?!

"May I take your orders?"

A female cheetah this time. I'm still trying to decide what to have, so when Firana speaks up first…

"I'll have the salty pork, and a bowl of water."

The waitress, I'm assuming, turns to me. Err…

"I'll go with the roasted duck stew, thanks. As well as a glass of apple juice." The waitress raises an eyebrow at the last sentence. "What?" I show off my opposable thumbs. "I've got opposable thumbs, I'd like to use them."

Nodding, the waitress leaves to go fetch out order.

"A glass?" Firana, not you too… "I thought you lapped your water like every other dragon!"

"In case you haven't noticed," Yes you saw this coming, from a mile away with a red flag above its head… "I'm not every other dragon."

I manage to keep a straight face for exactly five seconds, before bursting out laughing at Firana's expression. I swear, if this were a cartoon I'd be picking Firana's jaw up off the ground!

Right… where were we?

"Well…" Go on, I'm not going to live forever… "err… I'm not sure how to respond to that…"

"I can think of about 20 different ways for you to respond to that. Starting with the way you are currently responding. Wide pupils, a large grin on your face, and a slight blush, although that last one could be an unrelated issue."

I'm going to enjoy this…

(Unknown Ice Dragon's POV)

The fire dragoness who entered that building… she is perfect. Very curvy, a lack of obvious muscle, seems to have no idea how to fight… the rest of the boys are going to love this. The only problem is the black dragon who entered with her… probably her date or something, but in a 4v1 I have no doubt that we could overpower him…

Turning into the side alley on my right, it takes about 4 seconds for me to reach the doorway. Opening the door, I enter the cramped yet soundproof room. Three other ice dragons stare at me expectantly.

"Did you find one?"

"Yes. A fire dragoness, like we all wanted. Nice curves, doesn't seem to be able to defend herself, and a cracked tail-blade. The only problem is her date…"

"Date?"

"A black dragon. Obvious muscle, a serrated tail blade, carries an impressive number of scars." I'm slightly scared of him, but in a 4v1… "I have no doubt that we can take him, but we'll have to be quick and quiet when we do."

My friends smile. I would join them, but I can't shake this feeling of doubt…

"We hit them when they come out. Most couples were leaving when they entered, so there won't be any witnesses…"

(Obsidian's POV)

The meal was quite enjoyable, all things considered, but not as good as the dragoness opposite me. The way the light bounced and danced off her scales, the reflective shine in her silver horns, the beautiful red eyes…

I snap myself out of this… trance. What was in the food? Probably nothing, but you never know…

"How was your meal, 'Sidian?"

"'Sidian?"

"Why not? It's cute."

I can feel a blush coming to my face. I can't believe Firana has been oblivious to my previo- Hang on, I have black blood… and a blush is what happens when blood flows to your cheeks… so… Well, now I just feel stupid. Of course, Firana wouldn't notice my blushes, they are the same colour as my scales!

"Anyways, to answer your question, the meal was good." I almost, _almost,_ said 'not as good as the dragoness opposite me', but I catch my tongue in time. "So… the bill?"

(Time skip)

Walking out of the restaurant with Firana, I can't help but feel on edge. As much as I am enjoying this, yes I'm enjoying this, I have a sneaking suspicion that-

Suddenly, a massive blast of ice hits me on the chest. Freezing up instantly, it is now impossible to move my limbs…

"Obsidian!"

I can barely register the shout through the ice surrounding me. Four… shapes launch themselves at Firana. I can't see clearly enough to make out who, or what, is attacking her, and I can't free myself from the ice, or even breath…

The four shapes drag Firana off to the right. I need to get free, now! Struggling with all my strength, the ice refuses to shatter… or even crack. If I don't free myself soon, I'll suffocate!

One attempt to free myself later, and I fall unconscious…

(Obsidian's Mind)

 _Opening my eyes, the first thing I notice is a black abyss. Great, so I'm dead…_

" _ **No, you are not dead, just close to death."**_

 _A black dragon takes shape in front of me… scars everywhere, bloodshot eyes, serrated tail-blade… it is almost like looking into a mirror._

" _I'm assuming you're my other half?"_

" _ **Correct."**_ _Good to know…_ _ **"If you don't free yourself soon, you'll suffocate, and those ice dragons will do who-knows-what to Firana."**_

 _And I'm supposed to free myself how exactly…?_

(Reality)

My mind snaps back to reality almost as soon as my other half tells me to free myself. What was it he said…? 'the ice dragons will do who-knows-what to Firana', wasn't it?

Wait… they kidnapped Firana! There are only two possibilities then… they intend to sell her into slavery or-

THOSE ****** *** ******* ***** *****! Both those options are diabolical, more so than Malefor's plan to destroy the world! At least that would have let the next world be born… but this…!

Throwing myself at the ice surrounding me in a blind rage, I honestly don't care how I am going to punish those dragons. Hell, if I die, I'll come back as a wraith and haunt them for the rest of their days!

Most people would be shocked when the ice caging them shattered. I'm too angry to care. Blood fills my eyes, but my anger prevents me from noticing. All that matters, is finding and saving Firana…

Using my helpfully sensitive draconic nose, it barely takes a second to locate Firana's scent. Following the scent is difficult, thanks to the other scents on the road, but thankfully it is still possible.

Eventually, I reach a concealed, metal door in a small alleyway. Opening it up, I'm greeted by screams of terror. Firana!

The corridor is too small for an adult dragon to fit through, so… probably a gang of late teens. I don't care. They'll burn regardless…

(Firana's POV)

I can't help but scream in terror. I can tell from the expressions of the ice dragons that they intend to… do unsavoury things to me, once they've properly tied me up.

Please, ancestors, if you have any mercy, please help me…

"Don't bother screaming, the room is soundproof." A black dragon walks through the metal door. Obsidian! "We can have our way with you, and your boyfriend is dead, so-"

"I beg to ******* differ!"

The four ice dragons turn around.

"Oh look, the dragon we so easily froze. What makes you think this will go any differently?"

Obsidian's eyes go bloodshot, to the point where there is no white left in his eye…

" **The fact that you have severely underestimated me."** Obsidian's voice sounds… demonic. I'm actually scared of him, despite the fact that he's here to save me! **"You intend to 'have your way' with Firana, do you? Well, you'll have to go through me first, and you AREN'T going through me, even if I have to return from death and haunt you for the rest of your days! TOL ARCHAN!"**

With that battle cry, Obsidian launches himself at the nearest ice dragon. His paw connects with the throat of the dragon, grabbing it in a choke-hold. Obsidian crushes the windpipe of the dragon, before throwing the fresh corpse at the remaining dragons.

The corpse lands in front of the leader, dead eyes staring up at him.

"N-now now, d-don't be to h-hasty, I'm sure we c-can come to an ag-agreement!"

Obsidian throws back his head and laughs demonically.

" **An agreement? HAHAHA! You're all pathetic. I would sooner work with Malefor than spare your worthless lives!"** I've never seen this side of Obsidian… perhaps he really is a demon from convexity… or his power effects his mind. **"That battle cry earlier? Tol Archan? It means 'Vengeance Comes'. And that is exactly what is happening. You kidnapped Firana, I'm simply delivering Vengeance for that."**

With that closing remark, Obsidian opens his maw, and launches a stream orange flames at the ice dragons. The fire seemed to trail darkness, almost absorbing all light in the area.

The ice dragons don't even have time to register what's happening. The stream of fire engulfs them, burning the scales off their flesh. The screams of agony… how is Obsidian okay with this?!

When the ice dragons finish burning, Obsidian walks towards the leader, who is barely alive, before picking him up by the throat.

" **I'm not going to kill you. No, it will be far more painful for you to bear the scars of today for the rest of your life. You will act as a warning: ANYONE who messes with me, or my friends, will be given either a painful death, or a fate worse than death. Now SCRAM!"**

Obsidian throws the ice dragon towards the door. The dragon picks himself up painfully, and leaves, muttering curses under his breath…

Obsidian's eyes brighten, losing their dark glow, and the dark aura in the room dissipates…

"Firana? Thank… thank the ancestors you're okay!" Obsidian runs towards me, obviously relieved. "Give me a moment, I'll cut these ropes and get you out of here."

As soon as the last rope is cut, I completely break down. Tears stream from my eyes, and I can't stop myself from hugging Obsidian…

(Obsidian's POV)

When I cut the last rope binding Firana, she completely breaks down. Tears start streaming down her face at a rate that puts the river Nile to shame. She launches herself towards me, binding me in a tight hug. Tears stream down my chest scales. I would embrace Firana back, but right now my brain is screaming 'danger!' louder than an erupting volcano.

Turning my head around, I manage to spot the door… still open, and with several mole guards walking through. This is bad. Very, very bad…

The moles surround me and Firana, spears pointing towards us. A mole in gilded armour steps forward.

"You are under arrest for the unprovoked murder of 3 ice dragons, and the permanent scarring of another ice dragon."

Firana is too busy crying to notice the guards surrounding us… but that doesn't stop the blood from flowing back towards me eyes.

 **Kill them, before they kill you.**

Oi, I don't need feral instincts driving me here. I'm a being of reason, as are these guards.

 **You think they'll understand you? That they'll let you explain? HAH!**

Never know until you try…

"Hang on, this… is, actually, what it looks like, but could you at least give Firana a chance to collect herself emotionally? Those ice dragons intended to, and I quote, 'have their way' with her, so you should at least have the decency to let-"

"Shut up, demon." Really? What is it with people mistaking me for something I'm not? "You are under arrest. We shall take this dragoness away from you, so she can recover from what torture she underwent at your hands."

WHAT?! **WHAT?!**

If you imply that… one more time… I swear, you are not going to like the outcome…

"Sorry to break it to you, but it was the _ice dragons_ who were doing the torturing, not me. I know, you want that pay raise, but you don't need to arrest a mostly-innocent dragon to get it."

"Mostly innocent? So, you admit to killing these three?"

"I did, in fact kill these three dragons, and scar that other one. There is no point in lying. I did not, however, do it in cold blood. I was on a date with Firana, and we were ambushed by them. I was frozen solid while Firana was kidnapped. I managed to free myself, track the gang here, kill most of them, and rescue Firana. If you have a problem with that, take it up with me _after_ Firana has finished her emotional break-down."

"I see…" I knew they were beings of reason! "But we still have to arrest you. You have admitted to killing, even though it was provoked, so you are charged with murder nonetheless."

"Well…" I might as well come quietly… "If you can see that Firana is safely returned to the dragon temple, I will come quietly. If not, then there will probably be many more corpses today, including mine."

"Agreed."

THANK GOODNESS!

(Time skip)

(Firana's POV)

I never thought a simple date could go so poorly! I get captured, almost… and Obsidian is arrested for protecting me! I need to tell the Guardians, before the elders' sentence Obsidian to death!

Rushing to the vision room, I barely have time to register the three Guardians before I slam into one of them.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Cyril… not now, I've got an emergency to deal with!

"It's Obsidian, he's been arrested in Warfang for protecting me from a gang of ice dragons!"

The Guardians all look worried… but I doubt they care enough to bother interfering…

"Did Obsidian use lethal force?"

"Volteer, this is Obsidian. Of course, he used lethal force!"

"Then there is not much we can do. Obsidian will likely be sentenced to death. I'm afraid we can't interfere with this one…"

"How can you say that?!" I'm starting to get mad. Obsidian single-handedly rescued me and all the other dragons here, how can the Guardians brush him aside so easily?! "Obsidian did nothing wrong, he only protected me from a gang of dragons who… tried to… have their way with me… he didn't do anything wrong!"

I can feel myself about to burst into tears again… but these are the Guardians… I don't want them to see me like that…

(Obsidian's POV)

Well, this is boring. Sitting in a cell, no-where to go, very little chance of escape, and I'm probably going to be publicly executed… I've dug myself into a hole I can't get out of, haven't I?

A black crystal is attached to the ceiling, supposedly to prevent me from using my element… but I've already established that my element runs on emotion rather than elemental energy, so I could probably escape if need be.

 **Then why don't you?**

Because escaping wouldn't do me any favours. Best-case scenario, I end up an outlaw with no chance of ever society again!

 **Then what's the worst-case scenario?**

I end up torn to pieces and 6-feet under.

 **That's a bit… grim, even for you.**

You're the judge of grim…

 **I resent that!**

Well, you are technically me…

 **Anyways, I have a plan. It is a crazy plan, but if it works you'll be home-free in a matter of days.**

I'm listening…

 **Let's talk in your head…**

And with that, I fall asleep…

(Unknown Guard POV)

The black dragon is curled up in the back of the cell. I mean, I know the demon had come quietly, but I thought he'd have tried to escape by now! The fact that he hasn't… either he isn't as bloodthirsty as we first thought… or there is a part of his mind that isn't corrupted. I hope it's the latter, for my sake. I've got to bring this dragon food in a couple of hours, and I don't want to end up as the food…

Turning around, the dragon at first appears to be sleeping calmly… but the look on his face tells me otherwise…

An eye opens, and looks right at me… an eye filled with remorse, guilt… and anger.

 **So, Obsidian has dug himself into quite the hole, hasn't he? Then again, his power is about as dark as it comes…**

 **Why hasn't Obsidian shown this kind of power before? Because before he hasn't been truly angry. Simple as.**

 **The Unknown POV at the start? No, I'm not elaborating on that. I'm leaving that up to speculation… although I know exactly who he is, what his motivations are, and where his power comes from.**

 **Again, sorry about the late upload. I've got a rather nasty virus right now… and this chapter is about 1000 words longer than I intended. Oh well…**

 **Until next time…**


	13. 12: Hell, hath no fury

**Chapter 12: Hell, hath no fury…**

 **A bit of an unusual chapter title, all things considered, but at least it's fitting…**

 **This chapter begins the long and fortunately slow build-up to act 3. I could technically speaking begin it now, but that would be rushing the story like a lazy old grandfather, no offence to any old grandfathers reading this, and it would be unrealistic. Then again, magical healing crystals are kind of unrealistic, so I can't really use that argument…**

 **Enough of that, back to the story!**

(Mithril's POV)

I've just heard the news. Obsidian has been arrested for protecting Firana from criminals! And I thought this world was civilised… *sigh* this is going to be one of those days, isn't it?

Firana has explained the situation to the Guardians, who refuse to do anything about it. Firana also told me, Spyro, and Cynder, although the latter two also refuse to get involve, albeit reluctantly.

If no-one else is going to help Obsidian, I might as well. After all, he's the only other human-turned-dragon in the realm! If he's executed, I won't have anyone to talk to about Earth, or any real friends… I thought of Spyro and Cynder as friends up until they practically backstabbed Obsidian.

Volteer expects me in to be in the training hall, so I can continue practicing my combat skills. HAH. As if I'm going to _practice_ while a friend is in danger! I would stop flying to laugh, but-

Hang on again, which direction was Warfang in again? According to the map it was directly to the east of the temple, but I could have been reading it wrong…

Or not, if the city in the distance is anything to go by. FINALLY! My new limbs feel as if they are about to fall off! Which I would appreciate, since it would make me feel human again, but that is beside the point!

Flying onwards, it suddenly occurs to me that any attempt to help Obsidian would be illegal. I'm not to concerned by that, since 'justice' is perspective-relative, but the idea is the same. Helping a falsely-accused friend is illegal! If I ever meet whoever created draconic laws, I swear with the devil as my witness, I'm going to teach them the meaning of 'suffering'!

(Obsidian's POV)

Opening my left eye, the first thing that registers in my vision is a rather scared guard. I almost feel sorry for him/her… but after what I went through in my own head, I find it difficult to feel sorry for anyone.

My draconic side, no he hasn't given me his name yet, practically tortured me in my mind, but it was necessary for his plan to work. I'm not going to escape, since that would result in the permanent tarnishing of my name. Instead, I'm going to wait for the trial, and hope that the judge is prejudiced since… well, I need to get sentenced to execution for the plan to work. A prison sentence? I don't have that long, and I'd probably end up killing more than a few prisoners. No, I need to get sentenced to execution…

Why, you ask? What I have planned is practically going to shake the world… and I need to be in extreme pain. While in my head, my draconic side educated me on my element. As me and Volteer deduced, it responds to anger and pain, but what we didn't figure out is that it also responds to sheer willpower, hence the lack of power when I simply 'let it flow' out of my maw in my first elemental training session. Hypothetically speaking, if my will was strong enough, I could shatter the world without the destroyer… but that would require a literally unbreakable will, which I don't have.

What I can do, however, is force my elemental energy to collect right where the headsman's axe would sever my head from my body. Theoretically, the axe would shatter, preventing my execution, and I would have taken the lethal blow… Or, I could wait until after my head has been separated from my body, then force my dark-infused blood to reconnect my head to my body.

These sorts of possibilities do, thankfully, come at a price. I will lose emotional control while preforming these acts, so I will very probably harm someone. There is also a high chance that using my element through willpower alone will corrupt my mind beyond the point of no return… but risks must be taken.

Closing my eye again, I decide to sleep on this dilemma. I know I am willing to take this risk, but the question remains: How bad is the risk?

(Mithril's POV)

(Large time skip)

Walking towards the gathering hall, a large portion of the city's residents have gathered to witness the trial of Obsidian. Terrador is present, but for whatever reason he is present as the prosecutor. Obsidian is considered a 'minor' so he is not allowed to defend himself. Instead, a cheetah by the name of Prowlus has been assigned as the 'defendant' in his place. Kind of unfair, but the law is the law…

Entering the hall, I quickly find a seat close to Obsidian. Close being a relative thing. He is in chains, muzzled, and surrounded by guards… HAH! If worst comes to worst, Obsidian could probably break out with ease! After all, if worst comes to worst, I'm going to launch a ball of light near Obsidian, which should hurt him enough to let him use his element…

A large, grey dragon enters the hall from the doors on the far side of the room. Everyone falls silent. The dragon walks up to a platform opposite Obsidian, right as Prowlus enters through the same set of doors. Walking towards Obsidian, Prowlus takes his place slightly in front and to the left of the black dragon.

The grey dragon, obviously the one conducting the trial, raises a paw, signalling the beginning of the trial.

"Black dragon Obsidian, you have been accused guilty of torturing 4 ice dragons with fire, and killing 3 of them, along with taking advantage of a young fire dragoness by the name of Firana." At the mention of Firana's name, Obsidian's head jerks up, eyes bloodshot and glowing with anger. "Since you are a minor, you are not allowed to speak in your defence. Prowlus, what say you in the place of the Defendant?"

"Obsidian pleads guilty of all charges." I can tell that Prowlus is taking great pleasure in this. "He pleads for a harsh sentence, preferably execution."

WHAT?! That is unrealistic on about 20 different levels! Although, I don't really care, since darkness is flowing into the chains binding Obsidian, as well as his muzzle…

"Very well. Execution it is, unless anyone among the crowd is willing to speak on Obsidian's behalf."

Me and, although I did not know she was here, Firana raise our wings.

"*sigh* Anyone other than minors?"

No-one raises their wings/paws/hands/arms/limbs in protest.

"Very well, execution it i-"

Obsidian's chain and muzzle shatter in a spectacular display of dark energy. The guards surrounding the black dragon point their spears at their charge, hoping to dissuade him from fleeing. Although, it would appear that Obsidian has no intention of fleeing…

" **Do you really,** _ **honestly**_ **believe I am not capable of defending myself, and that 'minors' are not fit to speak up on my behalf? If so, you are more of a fool than I am."** That voice… it sounds like Talion's 'dark ranger' voice in Shadow of War… **"All individuals here are equal in sentience and reasoning ability, including the minors present. If you have any reason to believe otherwise, do enlighten me. If not… then I swear by the defeat of Malefor,** _ **I**_ **will explain to** _ **you**_ **exactly what happened. I trust these conditions are acceptable?"**

Everyone in the chamber seems… frightened, to say the least. The room is decorated with mana-draining black crystals, for goodness sake! How did Obsidian manage to-

"No, you are in no position to make demands, and as a minor, you have no right to-"

" **Biased. Strike one…"**

"You have no right to make demands, according to the law."

" **Justice is perspective-relative. Strike two…"**

The judge, and Terrador for that matter, look rather angry right now. Terrador keeps his mouth shut, but the judge…

"You cannot simply waltz in here, demand to let us here your side of the story, and expect us to believe it! You look and act like a demon from convexity, for the Ancestor's sake! We have no reason to trust you, and every reason to believe the word of the injured ice dragon, _and_ the three corpses in the room are evidence enough to prove that you did something…"

The dragon rants on, and on, and _on_ , before Obsidian silences him by raising a thumbed paw

" **All reasons not to trust me, but no reasons as to why minors should not be able to defend themselves, and no reasons as to why appearance affects my ability to think and act. All your observations are also biased, and your lack of understanding makes your judgments irrelevant."** DAMN, feel the burn… **"Now, my side of the story. NO, Do NOT interrupt Prowlus, you have contributed more than enough as is, although you did hit it on the spot for me killing those dragons, so for that you deserve praise. Anyways, where…** where was I?"

Obsidian's voice goes back to his normal, teenage voice. Thank goodness, I thought I'd lost him there…

"Do you want the short version, or the long version? You know what, it doesn't matter, I'll give you the short version. I go on a date with Firana to _The Dragon's Hunt_ , we both enjoy our time there, no not in that way you pervs, as we are leaving we get ambushed by 4 ice dragons, they capture Firana and freeze me in place, I manage to free myself, I track them to a soundproof room, and when I open the door the first thing I hear is Firana's screams of terror." Obsidian shifts his gaze towards Firana. "Anything you'd like to add, Firana? I won't go into detail about what happened beyond that point without your approval."

Oh, Obsidian, you sneaky *******! If Firana says no, it implies that the ice dragons _used_ her, while if she says yes then you have an honest testimony of the events while simultaneously crushing any remaining control the judge has on the situation. Perfect!

Firana shakes her head, and Obsidian turns back towards the judge.

"So, now that you have my side of the story, would you like to ask the surviving ice dragon what happened, and why? I'm _sure_ he can explain himself. After all, he is a _minor_ like me."

I swear, Obsidian is enjoying himself a little too much…

"Guards, knock his element out of the equation."

The guards begin to comply… but they back up when Obsidian's scales go pitch black.

" **You really believe you are in control, don't you?"** Obsidian, this is not going to end well for you! **"Just fetch the ice dragon. If worst comes to worst, there is always the Pool of Visions back at the temple. You could always view his or my memories of the event, although I'd rather have Firana's consent on that matter. After all, those memories do contain sensitive information, so to speak."**

You sneaking little ***…

Obsidian's scales turn back to their usual colour, before he resumes speaking.

"I believe I have said my piece. Now, if the Guards would kindly escort me to either my cell of the execution block, I would appreciate it. Although, if it is the execution block, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your days, even if I have to deceive death himself!"

Obsidian gets up, before walking towards the door. None of the guards move to intercept him.

"What are you doing, you fools?!" You foolish, old, prejudiced dragon… "Stop him! He's getting away! Someone stop him from leaving!"

No-one pays him any mind, only watching as Obsidian walks towards the exit. However, he stops before he leaves.

"So, if no-one is going to stop me, I'm going to assume the original sentence no longer stands, and there is going to be no trial of the ice dragon who froze me solid. After all, justice is perspective-relative, and from my point of view anyone who wishes to 'take advantage' of a helpless dragoness deserves nothing more than what the dragon has already suffered at my paws."

With that closing remark, Obsidian leaves the building. Firana looks about as baffled as everyone else is, but Terrador and the judge are absolutely furious….

This will not end well for my friend…

(Obsidian's POV)

(Time skip, back at the dragon temple, evening)

"Obsidian?"

Volteer. He seems to pity me… oh well, exile it is…

"We convinced the surviving ice dragon to show us his memories of the incident, along with the memories directly prior to the incident. When we told the elders about what we saw, they reconsidered their judgment.

Did they now? I though they would when they learned what transpired.

"The elders have reached a decision. They will drop all charges against you, on the condition that you make a choice." I'm listening… "Either you work with, and for, the Warfang military for the next six months, or you undergo a ritual designed to permanently strip dragons of their element."

Really? That isn't a choice, that is an ultimatum… honestly speaking though, I expected worse. It almost seems like someone is pulling the strings… not that I am complaining. After all, working for the military? I expected much worse…

Turning towards Volteer, he seems to expect me to pick the last option. From what I gathered during my time in the library, the Warfang military is extremely tough on recruits, most quitting after a few weeks… so it isn't surprising that Volteer expects me to pick the ritual.

I let a small smile creep up my face.

"I'll take the military, thanks." Volteer's eyes widen in silent protest. "No, you won't be able to convince me otherwise. As you've observed during my training sessions, I know my way around combat. I doubt I'll have any major issues. I do have one condition, though. No, it is not that anyone gets to join me, or that I get breaks, or even that I get to see anyone I know on occasion." Volteer seems intrigued, to say the least. "It is simple. That you make the military aware of my combat prowess. I do not want to be treated like a low-level minion of society, I want to use my abilities to _benefit_ people. So, letting Warfang know of my abilities should ensure that I'm not given simple jobs, like guard duty, or patrolling the city outskirts."

THAT took far longer to say than I intended…

"Very well, I will explain to the elders your decision, and I will let them know of your abilities."

With that closing remark, Volteer leaves the room… only for Firana to enter moments later. The fire dragoness sits down next to me, entwining her tail with mine. Probably worried about me…

"Why?" Why what, Firana? "Why did you save me, and get yourself into this trouble?" Oh, so that is what this is about… "You should have left me. It would have spared you all of… this."

So, I should have left you to the criminals who likely would have ended your life, and possibly mine when they learned I survived? HAH!

My amusement must have shown on my face, because a sharp set of claws quickly digs into my side.

"What's so amusing?"

"The fact" I hope this explanation won't take too long… "that you forget what would have happened to you if I had left you there. You don't want to lose… that… at your age, do you?"

"What?" I can't believe… wait, she's figured it out. "Oh…"

"Yes, that is what they intended to do, and I killed most of them in response. The survivor will likely be scarred for life, a painful reminder of what he almost did, and a mark of shame that will be impossible to hide." My voice loses all hints of amusement. "He'll probably end up like Seathe the Scale-less. Trust me, you don't want to know that sad story."

Firana turns her head away from me, probably in thought. Just as I'm about to fall into my own thoughts, a feminine voice breaks out.

"Could I… stay here with you tonight?"

My left eye widens in suspicion, but…

"Why not? I'm in a bit of a mood right now, so the company of a friend would be-"

"Friend?" Really? "We've just had our first date, that should be 'Girlfriend' now."

This is going to be the death of me…

"Whatever. I need sleep right now, would you mind?"

I separate my tail from Firana's, and walk over to the bed. Firana follows. We don't exactly snuggle, but… well, let's just say that the body heat is appreciated.

(Unknown POV)

Things are going horribly. Oh-so-very horribly. The ice dragons should have killed the black dragon and 'desecrated' his date. When they failed, I tried to engineer the trial in such a way as to kill off the problem… but I didn't count on the black dragon being immune to the black crystals lining the room… or on the fact that said black dragon was able to break his restraints. This is getting troubling…

Taking my paw off my 'Time Orb' as I call it, I walk to the side of the vortex. A book with a yin/yang symbol appears in front of me. The 'book of timeless prophecies'. I'd dismissed it as nonsense over a thousand years ago, but, considering recent events, I should give it another read. 'Timeless prophecies' is a bit of a contradiction, but I do not know everything…

Opening the book, I flip to the ending page. Most of what was written in the book was contradicting nonsense, but the ending… well, it was curious to say the least. It stated that a warrior of many worlds would destroy destiny, and free the timelines.

I throw the book over my draconic shoulder. Madness! Timelines, plural? Those portals to other timelines have never worked, and I doubt they ever will! I mean, I understand time! Other timelines do not exist, since time is set in stone, even if the shifting timeline disagrees with me!

Teleporting to the Portal room, despite the extreme amount of effort required, I gaze towards the 7 portals surrounding me. The only material objects in the immaterial realm of Convexity. I've tried many times to open one of the portals, to no avail. The instruction manual says that the portals can 'only be opened when history is free' but I have no idea what that means… and I understand everything there is to understand about time!

As I'm about to leave the room, I reach a decision. The black dragon seems to negate all attempts to kill him without collateral damage. It is time to take a more… dangerous approach. There will be civilian casualties, and I could kill my chosen heir… but risks must be taken. My Time Orb will not like being used for such large-scale manipulation, and it will take time… but I'm timeless, so I can wait.

 **And, there you go. Almost the exact number of words I wanted for the chapter, for once. I normally overwrite of underwrite, so I'm quite pleased by this chapter.**

 **The POV at the end? Yeah, parts of it are confusing, but most encrypted spoilers in this story are… if only to give myself the freedom to write whatever the hell I want.**

 **Why aren't words like 'hell' and 'damn' censored, the more sensitive Americans among you ask? Because I'm not American, thank goodness. Yes, I accept that some people may be offended by this fact. Deal with it. You are allowed to be offended, and I accept that, but this IS a T rated story, so I don't have to censor everything offensive.**

 **If anyone wants me to implement a specific OC into this story, I can. A lot of weird stuff is going to happen between now and act 3, but I'm following an extremely loose plan, so I'm free to throw in any of your suggestions.**

 **If you feel like there are any major errors, please point them out in a review.**

 **Until next time…**


	14. 13: Sadistic Entertainment

**Chapter 13: Sadistic Entertainment**

 **Well… I'm back again with another chapter. I'm rather impressed with the number of views, over 2000 in total, so I suppose the first order of the day is to thank any and all viewers for reading this far. After all, there are better fictions for you to read, so, well, thanks.**

 **The second order of the day… well, to state that the focus of this chapter is not Obsidian. You'll find out exactly what the focus of this chapter is if you keep reading… unless you're a complete idiot, in which case the question 'how can you even read' comes to mind.**

 **There is a lot of POV swapping in this chapter, and a bit of time skipping. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

 **Enjoy!**

(Mithril's POV)

I wasn't able to sleep last night, mostly because of the fact that I couldn't stop worrying about Obsidian. The Guardians refused to help him, he's been forced into military service at a young age, and he's very probably going to end up a different person after his 6 months. Either the Ancestors worshipped by the dragons hate Obsidian, or his luck has gone through the floor and is somewhere in hell. Probably both.

Opening the door to my room, I head off to the take-off/landing area. I should at least see Obsidian off before I go. I'll be late for training, but Obsidian is a friend. Terrador, todays instructor, probably won't understand, but I don't expect the Guardians to understand anymore. They discarded Obsidian like wet paper, and by doing so they've lost my respect. Hell, I'm only training at all so I can teach those ******** a lesson.

While walking down the corridor, I catch up with Lightna, the electric dragoness from a couple of days ago. Apparently, she's going to see Obsidian off too…

"Hello."

I'll admit it, I've had a bit of a crush on Lightna since I first saw her. Nice curves, reflective scales, quite the impressive tail blade, a large wingspan, and she's beaten almost every dragon to challenge her in training. The exception being Obsidian, of course, but then he's impossible to beat, since he gets stronger the more we hurt him…

"Hi."

Slightly awkward…

"You going to see Obsidian off?"

Obviously. What else would I be doing outside the training hall at this time?

"Yeah, you too?"

"Yes. He did teach me a thing or two during our sparing sessions, so I owe him a goodbye at the least."

"Nice to know I won't be the only person seeing him off."

"Same."

The awkward silence that stalked us for the rest of the short journey… there are no words. I swear, some omnipotent being had a hand in this, or possibly even engineered the whole situation!

When we arrived at the take-off/landing area, I almost puked. Obsidian and Firana were… about to kiss?! WHAT?! I mean, I knew those two were now a thing, but kissing after the first date? I've never known that sort of stuff to happen outside of movies! …Probably Obsidian's new draconic instincts kicking in, or something like that anyway…

"Err… hello, lovebirds?"

I had to interrupt those two before this situation progressed into something… worse.

Both Obsidian and Firana stop leaning towards each other, both looking rather startled. Obsidian's face seems to blacken slightly in a dark blush, but Firana's goes so red I could probably mistake her blush for a bloodstain.

"Anyways…" That was Lightna. "The two of us have come along to see Obsidian off."

"Sorry to disrupt your moment."

I'm trying to act sheepish right now, since I don't want to incur Obsidian's wrath. I've seen what that does on multiple occasions, and I don't want to be on the receiving end.

"It's fine." Firana seems a bit too flustered to answer, so I'm not surprised when Obsidian answers. "I was about to leave anyway. One request, if you would be so kind: Could you keep an eye on the Guardians? After that trial, I trust them as far as I could throw a cathedral. If they do anything suspicious…"

Obsidian takes off without finishing that last sentence, the message clear as day.

"See you in six months…"

With that parting phrase, Obsidian flies towards Warfang, probably never to be seen again… and if he dies, I will personally burn Warfang to the ground.

(Firana's POV)

(Time skip)

 _See you in six months…_

Those were the last words I heard from Obsidian before he left… and I can't help but feel like six months is _far_ too long a sentence for 'Sidian… at least he'll be helping people, I suppose…

Mithril tried to comfort me while the three of us walked towards the training hall, but his words went in one ear and out the other. I couldn't help but feel like something terrible was going to happen while Obsidian was out there… I don't know what made me feel like that, I just knew that something was going to happen…

"Firana, your turn."

Terrador snaps me out of my internal monologue just as Mithril obliterates the last of the dummies spawned. I have no idea how he does it, but Mithril's silver light seems to blind his enemies without blinding his allies… I can tell because Iron gets blinded by simply looking at one of Mithril's light-bolts, and everyone else is not.

Walking into the arena, I'm ready to take my emotional state out on the dummies about to spawn. I've been practicing since Obsidian first demonstrated his combat prowess, but for the first time in my life I'm truly angry at something. According to both Obsidian and the Guardians, anger makes you a better fighter. I'm about to find out if that is true…

A group of 3 medium dummies spawn in the centre of the ring. By the time Obsidian gets back, I swear on the Ancestors, I will be a good fighter…

(Obsidian's POV)

"Good, you're here."

Nice to know that I've been expected… but getting into Warfang Castle was still a pain. I had to go past several sceptical guards, all of whom had to check that I was supposed to be here. I also had to find my way to the general's quarters in this maze of a place… quite a challenge, all things considered.

"Observant…"

The response to that particular sarcastic comment was a blunt tail-blade to the face. Note to self: The earth dragon in charge of this place is NOT someone to speak casually towards.

"Shut up. Until your six months are over, you work for me. Which means you will show me the proper respect. Got that?"

"Yes… Sir."

As reluctant as I am to add that last word, this dragon has already earned my respect. If he treats me with even the slightest amount of respect, I may even stick with him after the six months. After all, he demands respect, and has the strength to back it up… unlike the Guardians, who appear flat out arrogant to the point of weakness…

"Good. Keep up that attitude and I may even start to like you." Feeling's mutual. "Now… according to your report, you killed 3 ice dragons in defence of a dragoness by the name of Firana, and scarred a fourth one. Impressive, considering your age." I keep my eyes trained on the… general, I believe the rank was. "Normally, I would ignore this and throw you in with the rest of the 'Redeeming' as we call them. However, I have received a letter from Volteer. Apparently, your combat prowess is… significantly higher than expected. Could you please elaborate?"

Not a request, a demand. I think I've found my career in this world…

"Of course, sir. My combat abilities mostly stem from my element. I don't have much conscious control over it, but it responds indirectly to anger, pain, and sheer willpower. When I am angry, or in pain, my element enhances my speed and strength according to how angry I am, or how much pain I am in. I'm still figuring out the willpower bit, but from what I've gathered it can corrupt my mind if I'm not careful."

Lowering my head slightly to signal the fact that I'm finished, the general seems more than pleased by my explanation.

"I see…" Volteer, I owe you one. "I think we should test that. Follow me."

The general gets up, and walks out of the door. I'm pretty sure he intends to test me against one of his soldiers. If so, I hope for the soldier's sake that I'm not too badly injured during the fight…

(Firana's POV)

"Firana, that's enough. I said, that's enough!"

Terrador's demand snaps me out of my trance-like anger. To think, I've been tearing at dummies non-stop for the last 20 minutes…

Climbing painfully out of the ring, I really hope that display put off Iron and his gang… the yearly draconic cycle is coming up, and I don't need that lot trying to 'relieve' me during it. I'd rather have Obsidian, but since he'll be away, the best I can do is separate myself from those bullies. And the best way to do that, is to get them to separate themselves from me.

Walking towards the giant red crystal patch is painful, but if Obsidian can take the pain, so can I! Even if I don't have an unusual dark element feeding off my pain.

Reaching the red crystal patch, I quickly break off a small chunk of healing crystal. A quick flash later, and my wounds start healing. Unfortunately, red crystals don't fully heal severe wounds, broken bones and such, and I've got several. At least they help…

"You okay?"

That was Lightna, the so called 'champion of the ring' by the other dragons here. An amazing fighter, the only dragon capable of beating her was Obsidian, but even he usually takes as good as he gives… in their last match, it came down to pain tolerance. Three guesses who won there.

"I just miss Obsidian. It hasn't even been a day, but…"

No, stop their Firana. Save the tears for later. The Guardians have already seen you break down, you don't need the rest of the dragons here to see it… especially not Spyro or Cynder. They don't usually spar with other dragons, and they hardly take part in training, but still…

"I know. It's only six months, and he'll probably be back before then. He was sentenced to six months military service, no-one said anything about it being six consecutive months."

What…? Great Ancestors, now I feel stupid. I should probably ask the Guardians to let Obsidian back here in a month or so. It would be nice to see him again, if only to ask him how it is going.

"Thanks, Lightna."

"No problem. After all, I'm not just the best fighter here."

Ego again…

"You aren't though. Spyro and Cynder could probably beat you, and Obsidian has beaten you on more than one occasion."

"Obsidian isn't here, and he only won our last bout because he has an impressive pain tolerance. To think he managed to take a broken wing like it was nothing…"

Yeah, that was impressive. Obsidian told me it 'hurt like hell' during the fight. I need to ask him what these unusual terms mean. First 'shrak', and now 'hell'. Maybe I could ask Mithril, he seems to be good friends with Obsidian…

"Lightna, your turn!"

Terrador, I'm sure you can wait five minutes or so…

"*Sigh* We'll have to continue this another time. Later, Firana!"

With that, Lightna walks into the ring…

(Obsidian's POV)

Arriving at the local training ring, I'm not exactly impressed. Little more than a large wooden platform surrounded by metal fences, which are surrounded by chairs. A lot of soldiers have gathered here, probably seeking entertainment. Considering the cheetah punch-out going on in the middle of the ring, I suspect that they're getting what they wanted.

When one of the cheetahs manages to pin the other, a bell signals the end of the match. Both the cheetahs climb out of the ring, exchanging words of congratulations. The various different species of soldiers start to trickle out of the room, but are stopped by the General.

"Hold up!" The many soldiers immediately turn to attention, under the impression that this is an inspection of sorts. "There is to be one more match. Any soldier I deem fit, against this black dragon here." Most of the soldiers start laughing, especially the adult dragons here. "This is not a joke!"

Every soldier in the room shuts up. I would whistle, but I've never managed to in my new draconic form…

"Now, who wants to go up against him?" Several hands, but no wings or paws, raise. "Hmm… you, Captain, you'll do. Into the ring."

Both me and the selected cheetah Captain climb into the ring.

"No lethal blows, pinning and disablement only! Begin!"

The cheetah seems… smug, to say the least. Well… I might as well feed those fires.

"You going to stand there looking smug, or are you going to bother putting actual effort into this fight?"

"Nah." This cheetah… "You're a youngster. You won't take much effort."

"Is that so?" I quickly dig my claws deeply into my own scales. Quite painful, but that's the idea. "In that case… TOL ARCHAN!"

With my chosen battle cry, a dash towards the cheetah. He doesn't even move. When I reach him, he still doesn't move. His loss. Launching myself towards the cheetah's throat, he reacts at the last second, sidestepping to the left, painfully twists my wing, and throws me towards the other side of the ring.

Landing on my hind legs, I take a humanoid battle pose. This is going to be interesting… especially considering the look of surprise on the Cheetah's face.

"…How? That should have disabled you…!"

"I have an impressive pain tolerance, and my element responds to pain." Blood is flowing into my eyes nonstop now… this cheetah stands little-to-no chance. **"If this were a real battle, you'd have just signed your own death warrant."**

Thank goodness for the voice change whenever my element manifests itself. Quite terrifying.

Once again running towards the cheetah, I make a quick observation. Left leg slightly behind the cheetah, who is crouching slightly. He probably intends to go for a leg sweep. When I reach him, I am not disappointed.

The expected leg sweep comes out… and I simply block it with my shin. Painful, but since pain is my forte, I'll work with it…

Delivering a right paw punch to the cheetah's face, I half expected him to counter it… it would seem that he isn't as well trained as I thought. Pulling back my arm again, instead of going for another punch I go for a one-handed strength-based chokehold, lifting the cheetah off the ground by his throat. Finally allowing my pain to dim, I drop the cheetah on the floor moments before he falls unconscious.

"Good match."

With those final words, I climb out of the ring, and get back onto all fours. The soldiers in the crowd looked… stunned. The general looks lost for words.

"What even… with the fire, and the dark eyes… and the… how?!"

Yeah… I think I've done my job of impressing the General…

"I told you, my element responds to pain. I'm also only half dragon, hence my ability to stand on my hind legs, but I'm not sure what the other half is. And if you must know, the thing with my eyes? My element has corrupted my body, but not my mind, so whenever I'm in pain or feeling strong anger, my eyes go bloodshot and start glowing."

The General is at a loss for words. I mean, wouldn't you be, if you'd seen everything I just did? That shouldn't be possible without years of training… but here I am, victorious.

The soldiers who watched my performance are muttering amongst themselves.

"How?"

"But the Captain has years of experience under his belt!"

"Who is that dragon?"

"What did he mean by 'his element responds to pain'?"

"Is he available?"

It takes a lot of willpower not to facepalm at that last comment.

The General finally regains his bearings, and motions for me to follow him back to his 'office'. Yeah… I've impressed him.

When we get back to the office, the General has only one thing to say.

"We need to talk."

 **And… end of chapter! Yes, this chapter is quite confusing, I've re-written different parts of it multiple times, I'm not re-writing it again, deal with it.**

 **As the smarter people among you will have deduced by now, Obsidian is not going to be the focus of the next few chapters. I'm probably going to completely forget about him until chapter 16 or 17, so don't expect much more of him for the rest of Act 2. Yes, act 3 will be beginning just after I re-introduce Obsidian, and yes, act 3 will start with a bang. If you have already figured that out, go grab a cookie.**

 **If anyone has any requests, message me. We've got a few chapters to go before we hit the most planned-out act, so again, if you have any requests, go ahead and make them.**

 **Until next time…**


	15. 14: Blast Furnace

**Chapter 14: Blast Furnace**

 **I'm back, and not with a smile. I've been racking my brain for the last few days, mostly trying to come up with good ideas. A painful business, but it comes with the territory of writing.**

 **Well, the contents of this chapter are amazingly predictable if you know your stuff. I'll give you a hint: It is related to the chapter title.**

 **There will probably be some Character X Character in this chapter, and considering how awful I am at romance scenes, that will probably translate to an awful chapter. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. Because I'm lazy and I can't be bothered to go find a Sindarin translator to give you a unique version of 'you have been warned'.**

 **Enough ranting on my end, enjoy!**

(Mithril's POV)

(Dream)

 _The city is in panic, the armies of Convexity storming the place. Leading the charge is a large ape in black armour, with a chained, purple dragon in tow. I turn towards the black dragon to my left. A serrated glaive in his right paw, his stands up, preparing to give an inspirational speech…_

 _Fire. Ice. Earth. Electricity. Wind. Fear. Shadow. Poison. And Convexity. The 9 known elements which govern this world explode around me, levelling the city in seconds. When the smoke clears, a small, purple dragon is standing in the centre of a large crater. Turning towards me, the dragon opens its maw, and launches a beam of convexity towards me. I don't have time to get out of the way, so the dark energy hits me head on…_

 _Pain. That is the only thing I know. The purple dragon has been torturing me for days, preparing me for some ritual. First, he took my wings. Then my tail. And finally, my claws. Now, I am lying in the centre of a satanic star, the purple dragon next to me. A sacrificial blade is brought to the purple dragon. I can hear familiar words being muttered under his breath: "Leav avhiuk ukacrifice thrak alnej mub faave, uko jiak maausan conavrol avhe moraval nauk-alm, agh udahok iav avowarduk deukavrucavion." The purple dragon wraps his tail around the sacrificial blade, and brings it above my head. "Maausan avhe anceukavoruk ukhow mercausan par mausan ukoul." With those final words, the purple dragon brings the blade towards my head at a speed faster than sound…_

(Reality)

I wake up with a gasp, my heart pounding in my chest. That wasn't an ordinary dream, it was too real… and I recognise the language used there. A language from LOTR, specifically Black Speech. How it got into my dream… you know what, it is probably just a dream. Yes. An unusual dream, but still just a dream…

Opening the door to my room, I decide to go for an early morning flight. I need to clear my mind, and ever since I got my wings I've enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing against my… everything. More relaxing than I ever though possible, but until recently I have been a human, so… well, can't really fault me for that.

Unfortunately, of fortunately depending on your opinion, Lightna opens her door shortly after I pass it. I hope she doesn't take my current position the wrong way…

"Hello, Mithril. I didn't think anyone else would be up at this hour."

How is anyone this energetic at this time of the day? Seriously, I doubt Volteer is ever this energetic… but he is aging, and Lightna is the only other electric dragon I've ever seen. It could be a thing with electric dragons.

"Well, I was having trouble sleeping, and I needed an early morning flight to help clear my mind."

Lightna, I do not like that smile… but I don't like most draconic smiles, so that could be the problem. Or, Lightna intends to-

"I was about to go for a morning flight too, mind if I tag along?"

For goodness sake, how is my luck this predictable… I raise a questioning eyebrow, even though I don't have eyebrows anymore, but…

"Sure, as long as you aren't planning any trouble."

I swear, if Lightna smiles ANY more, I'm going to be stitching her maw back on her head…

"Great!"

Alright, someone go get me a sewing needle and some string.

(Time skip)

How is it possible for a single dragoness to be so energetic? Or flexible? I come out hoping for a relaxing flight to help clear my mind, and I get an energy-filled acrobatics performance from a dragoness with way too much energy for her own good… among other things, like that unusual smell filling my nostrils. Does this dragoness ever bathe? Probably, considering the fact that the smell isn't entirely unpleasant… although, it is making it difficult to think. Likely a good thing, the only thing I have to think about is that dream after all…

"Hey, Mithril, you going to join in or what?"

Join in? I mean, those stunts you're pulling are creative, but so's shoving a barbed-wire grenade down your throat, and that isn't a very good idea is it?

"I'll pass."

If Lightna wasn't moving so fast, I would probably be able to gauge her reaction. Unfortunately, she's moving at about 50 miles an hour, so the only thing I can gauge right now is her body shape… no, stop there Lewis, you DO NOT need those kinds of thoughts at this time of day… despite the oddly romantic sunrise.

"Come on, you'll enjoy yourself!"

And probably sprain a wing.

"Again, I'll pass."

"Aww, you're no fun."

Why does Lightna sound so… playful? Is she… flirting with me?! WHAT?! I mean, I've had my eye on her for the last few days, I'll admit it, but I never thought-

"Mithril? Silver-brains, you in there?"

"What?" Thank you for interrupting my thoughts, I needed that… except for the part where I didn't. I'm starting to regret letting Lightna come along with me… "I'm fine thanks. Just trying to figure out what the hell is up with your attitude right now."

"Oh, that reminds me, what does 'hell' mean?"

Ah… I thought that might come up at some point.

"Short version: A dark realm where more evil souls go after death. Long version: It depends."

"Kind of sounds like somewhere the Dark Master would have an interest in."

"Yeah… but I doubt Malefor would willingly go there. Once you've got in, you can't get out again. Kind of like a prison for the damned."

"I see…" You have any more questions? "Do you have an interest in anyone?"

WHAT?! …err, I mean, that was rather blunt, don't you think? Although, almost all dragons I've met are blunt when it comes to communication, but still!

"Not up until recently, no. And don't ask 'who', because I'm not giving an answer."

"Really?" And I thought dragons didn't do sarcasm? "I'll tell you who I have an interest in, if you tell me-"

"I'll pass." I cut in before this situation devolves further. "No offence, but I'm out here to clear my head, not to explain the intricate details of my life to you."

"Oh, I see." Lightna gives a very, _very_ flirtatious giggle. "And you're certain I won't be able to find out on my own?"

Alright, someone give me a raw fish, I'll cook it on my cheeks for you.

"I think my cheeks are answering for me…"

I look away. I really don't want to give the wrong impression right now, and that is exactly what I've been doing up until this point.

"Hmm… I think I know who you've got your eye on now!"

Excuse me, I was at least trying to be subtle, you should probably learn what 'subtle' means. It might even help you in your attempt at flirting.

"Well," I hope this 'turns the tables', so to speak. "I'm pretty sure I know what is up with your attitude right now."

"What?" Drop the act. "Nothing's up with my attitude."

I said, drop the act! I didn't though, or you probably would have.

"Let's just say that you weren't subtle, and leave it at that."

It takes Lightna a moment to figure out what I mean, but her cheeks turn bright red the moment she does.

"I… err…"

At a loss for words? Let's keep it that way for the next two minutes, we need to get back.

(Time skip)

"Where have you two been?"

"Terrador, I've just finished explaining to Cyril and Volteer why me and Lightna are late, I really can't be bothered explaining myself a second time."

Terrador sighs in defeat, before motioning for the two of us to join the group. This isn't going to go well… especially considering the fact that Iron and his gang look especially smug.

"How was the date, lovebirds?"

If looks could kill, Iron would be a smouldering pile of ash right now. Although, I must admit, Iron would look quite nice as an ash pile. After all, he would lack all of his annoying traits if he were an ash pile.

"It was not" I'm a bit flattered that Iron thinks me and Lightna went on a date, to be honest. "a date, as much as I wish it was."

That last bit sort of… slipped out. I didn't mean to say that, I swear!

"Ooh, look here everyone, it seems like Mithril has the hots for someone!"

If this day gets any worse, I am going to-

"Mithril, Iron, get in the ring!"

I am not going to finish that statement, because what I had in mind was so exceptionally torturous I wouldn't even wish it upon the devil himself!

(Lightna's POV)

"Mithril, Iron, get in the ring!"

Terrador is really loud when he wants to be, I'll give him that. Obsidian is louder when he's mad, I 'saw' that at his trial, but Terry is giving him good competition.

Both Iron and Mithril climb into the ring. Both of them are probably going to come out of this match with serious scars, but that is mostly a good thing. Ever since I saw Mithril I thought about his lack of scars, it is high time he gets some!

"Remember, no lethal blo-"

You know, it would probably have been safer for you to throw a pack of wolves into the ring with Mithril. After all, Mithril doesn't have anything against wolves.

Both Mithril and Iron are going at it like… I'm not even sure what they're like right now. Wild animals fighting over a scrap of meat? Possibly, if the amount of blood is anything to go by. I knew Mithril hates Iron, but this…

A sudden blast of light fills the room, blinding almost everyone. I manage to keep my eyes open just long enough to see Mithril rake a claw across Iron's left eye. When the light fades…

Iron looks like a thing strait out of a nightmare. His left eye has been torn open, and his right eye is bloodshot. Both his wings have been shredded. His tail has been sliced open… and blood is pouring out of his maw.

Terrador is the first to regain his bearings.

"Someone get some healing crystals, quickly!"

Or don't. I know, I used to be in Iron's gang, but he wasn't exactly a nice boss, and that is putting it nicely. Nor is he a nice guy. I wouldn't want him dead, but I say: let him suffer. He's threatened me with… things of a certain nature… multiple times back at the cave. He's also forced me to do… unsavoury… things with him, as of late. I have no idea why he made me.

Bronze goes and collects a large number of red crystals, before bringing them to Iron. When the crystals are placed on Iron's hide, they vanish with a quick flash, along with most of Iron's wounds. The eye wound though… Iron will likely be blind in that eye for the rest of his days.

"You, Mithril. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Mithril looks… I'm not even sure. Not guilty, that's for sure.

"Other than 'that guy was an ****hole and needed to be taught a lesson'?" Mithril turns his head, showing… a scar going through his eye?! "You know what they say back where I'm from? 'An eye for an eye.' So, do I feel remorse for what I did to Iron? Not in the slightest."

That was… cold, but I see the point. An eye for an eye is fair. Only problem, is that Mithril can still see out of both his eyes.

"Yes, I can still see through my scarred eye, but that is thanks to those red crystals, and even then, my sight is slightly blurry. I've simply returned the 'gift' Iron gave me."

"True as that may be, instead of-"

"Instead, of what, exactly?!" Mithril sounds extremely mad right now… "I should have run to you, tail between my legs, taking the cowards way out? Sorry to break it to you, but NONE of us are weak little hatchlings. We understand the principle of 'action and consequence'. When Iron attacked me, he was prepared to except the consequences of his actions. He just wasn't expecting the-"

"ENOUGH!" Terrador, you've got to realise that Mithril has a valid point. "Training hall, sunset. Be there, or I will kick you out of the temple." Ancestors, that's a bit harsh, don't you think? "Now, Firana, Lightna, you're turn."

Mithril climbs out of the ring with Iron on his back, while me and Firana climb in.

"Remember, no lethal blows, no cheap hits. Elements allowed, but nothing serious."

Both me and Firana nod our heads in agreement.

"Begin."

(Time skip)

"*pant* You *pant* had enough yet?"

"*pant* I'm just *pant* getting warmed up!"

Ha, ha, ha. Good pun, Firana. A fire dragon getting warmed up? Ha. Very funny.

Both me and Firana have been sparring for about five minutes now, and we are both bleeding profusely. Me, from a deep cut on the wing joint. Firana, from a nasty bite on her neck. Not a lethal bite, or she would be dead, but I'm pretty sure I burst an artery…

"That's enough. Both of you fought well, but I declare Lightna the victor of that bout. Had the fight been allowed to drag on, Firana would have bled out. Now, both of you go heal up."

Both me and Firana limp towards the red crystal patch, before allowing the smaller crystals to transfer their energy into our bodies.

"Good match, Firana."

"Likewise, Lightna."

We would shake paws, but both of us are too exhausted right now for that…

(Unknown ape POV)

"My lord, do you need anything else?"

Kneeling before me was my right hand, Mubullat. Reliable, but not exactly smart enough to be considered a general.

"Yes." My master plan, though difficult to execute, requires two more things. "Assemble the troops, and bring me the purple dragon of legend. In chains."

 **Finally… quite an interesting chapter, wouldn't you agree? Of course you wouldn't agree, you've got a brain in your head.**

 **As much as I would like to rush the next few chapters, I'm pretty sure that would decrease the quality of my writing, so I'm afraid you'll have to be patient. Act 3 is only a few chapters away, so you won't have to wait much longer to get to the good stuff.**

 **Once act 3 begins, I will no longer be accepting suggestions. I have a very tight plan for that particular section of the story, and I intend to follow it to the letter… although, it isn't a written plan, nor is it a bunch of words leading me to a specific location, but that is beside the point!**

 **For anyone who wishes to know, I get a lot of writing inspiration from music. Personally I would recommend 'Angel of the Dark' by Aviators. I normally listen to it while I write.**

 **Enough A/N, until next time…**


	16. 15: Primate Problems

**Chapter 15: Primate problems**

 **To those of you who are still reading, congratulations! Act 3 is only a couple of chapters away, so it won't be long before you get to the good stuff!**

 **For those of you who were confused by the previous chapter title, a blast furnace is the device used to turn Iron ore into Iron metal. I'll let you put the pieces together.**

 **Another thing. Some of you may be of the belief that the 'dreams' Mithril and Obsidian have experienced are in fact visions of the future. Sorry to break it to you, but in case you haven't noticed, those two half-dragons exist partially outside the timeline, meaning that their futures are malleable. It has been mentioned in previous chapters outside the A/N, so I'm not really spoiling the story.**

 **Enough of the A/N, time to get back to the story…**

(Mithril's POV)

"Again!"

Terrador has been pushing me through a harsh training regime all night as punishment for what I did to Iron. Still, worth it. I'm not taking the cowards way out in a million years, and the Guardians lost my respect the moment they discarded Obsidian. Why would I run to those who practically murdered my best friend, hoping for help?

Throwing another light-infused punch at the wooden golem in front of me, I begin to wonder if this is what Obsidian felt like when he first discovered how to best use his element. I mean, my element moves on its own, requiring no effort on my part to use, but Obsidian's reacts to pain and anger… so it is possible he felt this kind of power when he first threw a dark-infused punch at something. The feeling of wood shattering under your fist, the explosion of elemental energy…

The golem shatters upon impact with my fist for the umpteenth time. I expect Terrador will conjure it up again, but-

"That's enough. I trust you have learned your lesson, Mithril?"

"Yeah…" I very much have, but I doubt it is the lesson Terrador intended for me to learn… "Elemental attacks are extremely draining on one's mental reserves."

The look on Terrador's face… I'd best explain why I dislike him.

"Sorry to break it to you, Terrador, but you Guardians lost my respect when you discarded Obsidian like wet paper. He was my only friend for a large portion of my life, and my best friend for the remaining portion. Now, you have likely sent him to his death with that Ultimatum of yours. And I swear, with the… Ancestors as my witness, I will burn this temple to the ground if Obsidian doesn't survive those six months!"

I think that may have been a mistake, but oh well, if you want manners from me, you will have to re-earn my respect.

"Now listen here, young dragon, Obsidian committed the crimes of Murder and Torture, you can't expect us to simple pardon him!"

"Yeah, the crimes of Murder and Torture. Did you forget the part where he did so in the defence of Firana, who otherwise would have had extremely _unsavoury_ things done to her, including _that_? You Guardians seem to have a selective memory, so you know what? You can take your biased accusations, and stick them so far up your ***** that you'll be able to feel what you had for breakfast!"

With that closing rant, I leave the room, now in a positively angry state. I'm going for a late-night flight, I need to clear my mind… again.

(time skip)

That was more productive than the flight with Lightna. I've managed to sort through my thoughts, to an extent, and I'm now exhausted enough to sleep…

Or I would be, if the sun wasn't rising, and if everyone wasn't getting up for breakfast. Ugh, for the love of all that is holy… WHY?!

"Hello, Mithril!"

Lightna, I've been up all night, can you please cut me some slack?

"Hello Lightna… sorry if I don't sound very energetic, Terrador has had me training all night, and I'm far too tired to even attempt having a casual conversation."

"Oh…" Don't sound so disappointed, I'm sure you can find someone else to amuse yourself with… "Well, have you tried using those green crystals? They give quite the energy boost."

Lightna somehow produces a green crystal in her paw. Where even…

Taking the crystal in my paw, it vanishes in a quick flash of light. I get a sudden energy boost, like I just drank a bottle full of pure caffeine.

"Wow!" I could get used to this… although I'd rather not, since it would explain where Lightna gets her energy from. "Is this why you're always so energetic?"

"Yeah, I have small patch growing in my room. The element of electricity uses a lot of energy, so I kind of need it…"

In other words, you're addicted. Great… better than being addicted to a powerful drug. Although that is kind of hypocritical of me, since I used to be addicted to video games.

"Well… breakfast?"

"Sure!"

Well… I now know why electric dragons are always so active… but I'm pretty sure I'd be better off without that knowledge…

Both me and Lightna set off to the 'cafeteria'. I hope the moles have learned how to cook overnight…

(Spyro's POV)

"Relax, Spyro, he'll be fine!"

"I know, Cyn, but that's what I'm worried about."

"Why, for the Ancestors' sakes, would you be worried about Obsidian being fine?"

"Because I'm certain he's planning something. I mean, a dark dragon with opposable thumbs, and an uncanny ability to manipulate darkness? Doesn't that seem a bit suspicious to you?"

"No. Remember, I've got all the dark elements, plus convexity, and you're fine with me!"

"That's because you're a good dragoness at heart. Obsidian… we both heard what he did to those ice dragons."

"They almost violated Firana!"

"That still doesn't justify the dead bodies, does it?"

"No, but it doesn't make Obsidian evil!"

"*sigh* You're right…"

Me and Cynder have been arguing for the last 5 minutes about Obsidian. I can't help but feel a sense of dread whenever I think of him, like the sense of dread I feel whenever I think of the Dark Master… I'm not sure what it is about Obsidian, but something about him feels… wrong. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, I don't know.

"Anyway, Mithril seems to trust Obsidian, and his element is light, so shouldn't that count for something?"

"Alright, I'll admit it, you're right about Obsidian. I just can't shake this feeling of dread…"

I don't have time to say anything else, because a baton swipes at Cynder's head from behind her, knocking her unconscious. I barely have time to call a scream from my lungs before I fall unconscious too…

(Mithril's POV)

My ears perk up when I hear the distinct sound of a scream beginning to leave someone's maw.

"Did you hear that Lightna?"

"Hear what?"

"It doesn't matter, I'm going to go check it out."

Getting down from the table, I quickly run in the direction of the noise… but I'm surprised when I get there. Two live, medium sized apes with batons are standing over the prone forms of Spyro and Cynder. I barely have time to react before they both lunge at me.

Ducking under their lunges, I'm not surprised when they manage to hit each other. Using their momentary confusion to my advantage, I launch a sphere of light towards the ape on my left. The impact disintegrates the ape, a dark energy radiating from the pile of ashes. Turning towards the remaining ape, I barely have time to block the incoming swing. I manage to bring my tail blade up just in time to block the baton. Parrying the blow, I plunge my tail blade into the ape's neck, killing it almost instantly.

Pulling my bloody tail blade out of the primate's throat, I quickly shake the blood off me. Not a pleasant feeling, blood on your scales, in all honesty.

Turning around, I get a shock when I spot a large ape behind me, fist raised. I'm about to jump backwards, when the ape falls unconscious from what looks like an electrical shock. When the ape hits the ground, I notice Lightna behind him.

"I thought you might need a paw."

Smiling, I manage to regain my composure.

"Well, I'd probably have made it out of that situation alive without your help, but thanks for saving me the concussion."

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Cyril, Volteer, and Terrador walk around the corner, angry looks on their faces.

"A bunch of apes attempted to assassinate Spyro and Cynder, hence the two ape corpses and the one unconscious ape. Me and Lightna arrived just as Spyro and Cynder were nocked unconscious. I managed to kill the two medium-sized apes, while Lightna incapacitated the large ape."

Seemingly satisfied with my explanation, the Guardians motion for the two of us to leave. Not that I care what the Guardians want us to do, but I would very much like to get back to breakfast. Raw mutton is addictive, if incredibly difficult to chew.

(time skip)

Remind me _never_ to summon custom dummies in the training ring again. Cyril told me to take over dummy summoning, and I, err, _accidentally_ summoned a pair of Ringwraiths… who kicked the ***** of the four dragons in the ring at the time. Cyril had to step in, freezing the fake Nazgul solid, before shattering them with a single blow from his tail, while simultaneously turning towards me.

"What, in the Ancestors' names, were those… _things_?!"

I decide to answer relatively honestly… as in, I'm going to give him the LOTR version of the answer.

"Dummies of creatures known where I'm from as Nazgul. They were once great men, mostly kings and heroes, but they were offered artefacts known as Rings of Power by the dark lord Sauron. Blinded by greed and pride, they took them without question, and fell to the darkness inside each ring. One, by, one."

Cyril gave me a 'really?' look.

"Why hasn't anyone here heard of this 'Sauron'?"

Because he's a fictional character… then again, so was Spyro, and here he is.

"Probably because he was defeated before the dark elements were labelled as dark elements."

"Alright… so why do you have knowledge of him?"

Because I read, why else?

"Partially because I read, but mostly because, where I'm from, the full tale is passed down from generation to generation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to-"

Cynder suddenly flies into the room, looking panicked.

"What is it, Cynder?"

Cynder stares up at Cyril, eyes full of… despair?!

"It's Spyro. He's gone!"

 **Cliff-hanger! I know, it is lazy of me to end the chapter before the 2000 word mark, but I simply couldn't come up with more filler content. Yes, we'll finally be getting to the good stuff in the next chapter. Act 3 will officially begin at the end of the next chapter, so again, we're getting to the good stuff.**

 **For act 3, since chapter 16 is the transition chapter, you can expect a lot of action, probably a lot of violence, and if you're lucky, maybe even a torture scene. NO, I am NOT doing any M rated content, at least not until after I've finished this story. I** _ **might**_ **consider doing M rated content in the sequel, but the chances are slim to none.**

 **Until next time…**


	17. 16: A Morgul Warrior

**Chapter 16: A Morgul Warrior**

 **THERE WILL BE MINOR SPOILERS IN THESE A/N, READ THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK**

 **Yeah, a bit of a confusing title for anyone who isn't versed in LOTR lore, so I'll explain it for you. 'Morgul' roughly translates to 'dark sorcery', so a 'morgul warrior' would be a warrior who wields dark magic along with a weapon of choice. Three guesses who this chapter title is referring to.**

 **I am no longer accepting suggestions for 'Obsidian'. Act 3 and act 4 need to be executed properly, so I won't have much room to add in suggestions. There will be a sequel, so when I've finished the epilogue of 'Obsidian' feel free to make suggestions for the sequel. Don't bother making suggestions yet, you don't know exactly what will happen and why it will happen, so you can't really… I'm going to shut up before I give away any more of the story.**

 **Enjoy!**

(Mithril's POV)

"It's Spyro. He's gone!"

What? Spyro? Gone? What are you talking about? He was right here a moment ag- He's gone. Greeeaaat… just what the doctor ordered, a search for Spyro right after this fiasco. For the love of all that is holy, universe, GIVE ME A BREAK ALREADY!

"Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?" I must ask, since I doubt anyone, much less Spyro, would simply 'go'. "He was here ten minutes ago, what's the whole story?"

"Spyro went to relieve himself midway through a meal. When he didn't come back I went to check on him, and… I found this message. I can't read it."

Cynder holds up a piece of paper with red ink on it. Grabbing the paper, I quickly recognise the language. For whatever reason, LOTR Black Speech. How is LOTR Black Speech in this universe?

 _Um lat parhor wanav avo ukee Spyro anoavhas avime, meeav alnej aav avhe gaaveuk ro Warfang._

"This is bad. Very, very bad."

"You can read it?"

Obviously, I can, LOTR has been my obsession since I was 5 years old. I took the time to learn multiple different languages from the LOTR books, including Black Speech and Sindarin.

"Unfortunately, yes. It is written in the Black Speech of Mordor, otherwise known as Orcish."

"What does it say? Where's Spyro?"

"Calm down Cynder. It says, 'If you ever want to see Spyro again, meet me at the gates of Warfang.' Considering the language it is written in, I trust this about as far as I can throw a cathedral."

"Meaning?"

That was Cyril.

"Meaning, that this is a trap, and an obvious one at that. Black Speech is the language created by the 'Sauron' I told you about. The language is incredibly powerful, capable of masking great sources of power simply by being written on the source of power in question. Again, I suspect that this is a trap. I'm going, along with Cynder. I doubt I could stop Cynder from going even if I wanted to."

"Now wait just a minute, young dragon." Guardian, you've lost my respect, don't push your luck… "Last I checked, the Guardians were in control of this temple, so you will obey the Guardians' orders."

"Yes, and look where that got Obsidian. He kills 3 most-likely non-innocent dragons, and you discard him like wet paper. Think about what that says about you. You don't care about your own, and are perfectly willing to discard those you pretend to care about if it gives you power. Instead of supporting him in his trial, or pulling some political strings to get him out of that messy situation, you assign Terrador as the _prosecutor_. I, for one, refuse to be a puppet in your damn games! I am going to meet this idiot outside Warfang gates, and anyone who wants to come with me is more than welcome, with or without your permission!"

With that closing remark, I start running towards the take-off/landing area. I can hear someone else running behind me. Glancing behind my back, I find that it is Cynder who is following me. No surprise there…

(Time skip)

(Spyro's POV)

Ow… my head… the last thing I remember is a sharp pain in the side of my head…

"Oi, boss, he's waking up!"

Opening my eyes, I recoil at the light. It is surprisingly painful. Opening my eyes more slowly this time, the pain is still bad, but is at least tolerable.

The first thing I see when I get me eyes properly open, is a group of heavily armoured apes. I try to open my maw, but I've been muzzled.

"Well, hello there, purple dragon of legend." I panic. I've been captured by apes. Apes! I know what they do to captured dragons, they tear their wings off, I have to get out of here! "No, we aren't going to do anything permanent to you, not yet. My master wants you, unspoilt, back at his citadel in the forest. Don't think that you'll come away from this unscathed though, my boys can have fun with you in _other_ ways, so unless you want a good helping of ape kindness, stop struggling."

My limbs start to respond to instinct instead of my conscious mind, thrashing wildly against the chains binding me.

"Alright then, we'll do this the hard way. Boys, have your fun, but keep the noise down. I don't want to alert the Warfang guards."

With that, the ape leader walks out of the room, and the largest of the ape guards walks up to me, without a weapon in hand. I'm in terror. I can't even think straight anymore. My 7 limbs are all thrashing on their own, trying to get these chains off. My eyes wander upwards, staring at the ape. The look in his eye tells me all I need to know. I'm going to come out of this traumatized.

Closing my eyes, I hope whatever torture comes will be swift…

(Time skip)

(Mithril's POV)

"There it is!"

Cynder, I know Spyro is important to you, but you don't have to shout everything like Spyro's already dead. He'll live, for as long as he's needed as bait.

Looking in the same direction as Cynder, I spot a large group of green tents a short distance from the gates of Warfang. Flying down, the two of us land just in front of an extremely large, gilded tent. When we land, an ape goes inside the tent. Shortly afterwards, an ape in black armour walks out.

"Well, well, well, it looks like you've come as my right hand requested."

"Where's Spyro, you monster?!"

I have to physically hold Cynder back. For a dragoness of her age, she's surprisingly strong.

"Now, now, is that any way to treat the person with your lover's life in their hands? Calm down, then we'll talk."

"We won't talk." Cynder is too emotional to view the big picture right now, so I'm taking over. "I will. Cynder, I suggest you keep out of this one until you've gotten your emotions back under control." Cynder attempts to relax at this point, probably trying to clear her mind. "Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, where is Spyro? After all, we aren't stupid enough to agree to any bargain without proof that you've got a bargaining chip."

"Hmm, clever boy." This ape seems a bit too… I don't know, 'classic evil' for my liking. "Bring him out."

Some armoured apes walk into a small, green tent, and bring out…

I hardly recognise Spyro. He's covered in a yellow, acidic substance, a lot of it on his head, tail, and hind legs. His back is covered in whip marks. His horns and spines have lost their brilliant orange shade. But, most importantly, his eyes have lost any trace of happiness. There is no anger, no joy, no energy… just emptiness.

"What… have you… done to him?"

I have to know. You can't change someone this quickly.

"I left a couple of my boys alone with him. The soldiers very much enjoyed that. Spyro… not so much."

Cynder looks ready to kill at this point. I quickly put my tail in front of her. It won't stop Cynder if she decides to spill blood, but it should get the message across.

"You wouldn't drag us out here without a reason. So… you want a deal of some sort? Some form of insurance policy? One of the Guardians?"

"What I want," This situation is getting out of control. We may have to bail out soon. Cynder will hate me for that, but… "is a simple exchange. The city, for Spyro. Simple as. You help me take Warfang from the dragons, I give you back Spyro mostly undamaged. If you refuse, I shall give Spyro back to my boys and let them do as they please." Spyro's head suddenly jerks up, eyes filling with fear. "So… do we have a deal?"

I can't believe this. In exchange for Spyro, this… demon, wants the entire city of Warfang?! Resigning myself to Cynder's wrath, I make my decision.

"No."

One word. That is all it took to break the ape-king's composure. One, singular, word.

"Fine." Spyro suddenly starts shaking with terror. "Boys, take the purple dragon back to the tent, and have some fun. Bring him back out in an hour, and we'll see if these two will reconsider."

The apes begin dragging Spyro back to the tent. Spyro is clawing at the ground, desperately trying to escape. And then…

A black and orange fireball hits the ground in front of the apes with Spyro, the shockwave knocking the apes several metres back. Spyro hardly moves, but that's probably due to the heavy chains.

When the smoke clears… I am shocked, and terrified, by what I see. A black, almost humanoid dragon standing in the centre of a crater. A glaive in his right paw, grasped by 4 claws, one of which being an opposable thumb. Clad in black, ebony armour, gilded with silver. Engravings covering the whole armour set. And most importantly, the eyes. Bloodshot, with black blood, the irises glowing a bright orange. Obsidian.

(Obsidian's POV)

I'm flying above the forest preforming a non-routine search. Some Cheetah scouts had gone missing in the forest, so the General sent me to go scout out the place from the air.

Spotting a bunch of green tents concealed by the foliage, I fly closer to the ground. It doesn't take long for me to spot two dragons, one silver, one black, talking to an ape in black armour. A purple dragon is brought out in front of the two dragons. Spyro!

After the three, not including Spyro, exchange some words, two apes begin dragging Spyro back towards one of the green tents. I made my decision the moment I saw the apes. It is just now that is the perfect time to act.

Shrouding myself in dark fires, I launch myself towards the ground. Gripping my glaive tightly, I plunge it into the ground before any of my paws actually connect with the earth.

The explosion is plain stupid loud, but I've dealt with worse. Mostly the shouting of Soldiers during mealtimes, to be honest. Standing up after the explosion cleared, I quickly notice the pain in both my sides. So, the armour is working as intended. Good. It will make my task much easier.

Plunging my glaive into the ground blade first, I take a moment to admire the craftsmanship of my weapon. A straight blade, serrated on one side, almost like that of a longsword, from about 1/3rd down the glaive. An Obsidian shaft, going up to a flag mount with a banner of the Darksign on it. I decided to go with the Darksign because it represents my element perfectly.

Shifting my gaze from my weapon, the leader of the apes looks… stunned, to say the least. I walk, bipedal of course, towards Spyro. Getting on one knee, I check for a pulse. Thank goodness. He'll need red gems, but he'll recover.

The ape leader regains his bearings quickly.

"I am Magath, the ape king. What is your business here, dragon?"

I stand up straight, and shift reposition my glaive, going into a battle pose. Thank goodness for the tough military training, all I can say.

"I am Obsidian, the Morgul Warrior, and I am not leaving without Spyro."

Thank you Mithril for those many times you insisted on sharing LOTR lore with me. Morgul Warrior has a nice ring to it, and fits my current combat style perfectly.

"In that case… everyone, attack the intruder!"

About 20 apes surround me. All small apes. HAH! That won't do much against me, especially since I've got Nifred, my glaive, here.

The apes all charge me, intent on ripping me limb from limb. I fall back on the harsh training I've been receiving for the last couple of days. I gracefully swing my glaive around, using my element to enhance the speed and strength of the swings. The lightly armoured apes provide very little resistance for Nifred. The non-serrated edge of the blade cuts through the apes like butter, blood spilling everywhere. A couple of apes get close enough to strike me, but my ebony armour deflects the low-strength blows. Before long, I'm surrounded by the corpses of the 20 apes who attacked me.

Magath looks… stunned, to say the least. I don't think he expected my bite to be worse than my bark.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm not leaving without Spyro. So, are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

The ape king seems to consider the situation for a moment, then…

"Alright, take Spyro and your draconic friends, and leave for Warfang. But be warned, when I march on the city, nothing will stop me from torturing the four of you!"

Picking up Spyro with my element-enhanced strength, I fly upwards and towards Warfang. This is going to be a painful flight, but since I feed off pain…

(Time skip)

"Will he be alright?"

That was Cynder. She's probably close to losing her sanity at this point. 

"I've already told you, he'll be fine physically. Mentally… well, you saw what he looked like. I doubt Spyro will ever be the same dragon he was before that torture…"

Cynder breaks down for the second time, crying in my forelegs. I let her weep on me for now, but I'm going to have to leave soon. The Guardians and their 'students' will be arriving shortly, and the General, praise him with great praise, decided that I was to greet them.

"Cynder, Spyro will be fine. I've been through worse. Hell, my armour is designed to cause me pain! I know what torture is like. He won't come out unscathed, but he's still Spyro, and he'll always be Spyro."

A mole nurse walks out of the room.

"He's awake. You can go in now."

Cynder rushes into Spyro's room. I don't. I know what Cynder will find. A mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted dragon in need of rest. I don't have time for their tears, the Guardians will be here soon.

Walking out of the hospital, I decide to greet the Guardians in front of the crowd of dragons assembled outside the landing area. The public backlash they'll get when their 'betrayal' of me is announced should teach them a lesson about loyalty.

Arriving at the landing area, I push my way through the crowd. When I reach the guards at the 'entrance/exit' area, they take one look at the Darksign badge on Nifred's flag, and they part to let me though.

It takes roughly twenty minutes for the Guardians to get within sight, and another 5 minutes before one can see the young dragons behind them. The crowd starts cheering for the Guardians. Laughable at this point. Some naïve, power hungry Guardians aren't going to keep you safe, grit, determination, and knowledge are going to do that.

I plant my glaive in the ground, letting the Darksign banner fly in the wind. When the Guardians and their protegees land, a massive cheer erupts from the crowd. Gripping Nifred tightly, I decide to toy with these three before the grand finale, so to speak.

"Good morning, how was the flight?"

Volteer seems to recognise my voice, but the other two Guardians have more difficulty placing it.

"Quite good, thank you." That was Terrador, the Guardian who prosecuted me during my trial, even though he never said a word. "Do we know you? Your voice sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it…"

"Oh, that." I fake looking hurt. "I'm almost insulted, dear Terrador. How could you forget the black dragon who you so happily discarded once you'd finished using him? The dragon you falsely prosecuted for unprovoked murder? You know, Obsidian?"

The puzzle pieces finally slotted together in Terrador's brain.

"Oh…" Terrador's face switches from a look of confusion to a look of distaste, then fear. "Oh! I'm sorry about that, I didn't think-"

"Think what? Think that I would survive the military service I got sentenced to? Think that I would want revenge? Think that the pawn could usurp the puppet master?" I'm having way too much fun with this. Murmurs are already spreading through the crowd. "Sorry to break it to you, but you are not all knowing, despite your liquid Palantir in your temple, AKA the pool of visions." The murmurs in the crowd are turning into disbelieving whispers. "Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, shall I escort you to your accommodations? Far to good for dragons of your treacherous calibre, but the elders insisted."

"Now look, Obsidian, we are sorry about the-"

"You are not fit to speak my name." I point the bladed end of Nifred at Terrador. "You lost my respect with that stunt you pulled. From now on, you will call me by the title the General has given me, _Morgul Warrior_. We clear?"

Terrador visibly gulps before giving his answer.

"Crystal."

The walk to Warfang Castle is short and uneventful. The Guardians are trying their best to act sheepish. Yeah… not working. I'm not a hatchling you can manipulate like the rest of this group. Those two days of vigorous training changed me. I can see straight through that ploy. Act sheepish to get Obsidian to forgive you, convince him to do more errands for you, then make sure he stays dead. HAH. I'm not falling for that.

Once the Guardians and their protegees were led to their quarters, I make my way towards my own quarters… only to get stopped by a red and silver dragoness. Firana.

"Obsidian?"

Firana has tears in her eyes. I didn't expect my absence to be hard on anyone… well expectations aren't exactly reliable anyway.

"In the scarred, pain-filled flesh, yes."

Firana then does the one thing I did not expected. She pulled me into a lung-crushing hug. A _hug_. If it weren't for my ebony armour, I'd be dead now, but I return the embrace.

"I missed you."

Getting all soft on me, are you, Firana? I mean… what even… oh, **** it!

"Funnily enough, I missed you too."

Me and Firana stay like this for a minute or two, before finally breaking apart. Firana has tears in her eyes. I probably have tears in mine.

"Why? Why did you have to leave me like that?"

The question I've been expecting since I first heard the news…

"I had to. And it worked out for the best. If I hadn't, Spyro would likely be getting tortured right now, and I wouldn't be in a position to defend Warfang for the next few weeks."

"What do you mean?"

I hope this won't come back to bite me…

"I mean, there is an army of apes just outside the gates of Warfang, and they are getting ready to lay siege to the city as we speak. No, do not say anything to the Guardians. When I was no longer useful, they tried to get me killed, or worse! If they learn of the incoming siege, they'll run away like hatchlings caught doing something they shouldn't. No, I want them here, so they can suffer like everyone else. So the populace knows who they worship as their protectors. Manipulative ***** who would sooner kill off every last dragon than give up their positions of power."

With my speech ended, I start walking towards my quarters again, only to be stopped by Firana… again.

"Could you… introduce me to your commanding officer?"

"You mean the General?" He's nicer than you'd think, since me and him are practically best friends now, and he'll probably train up Firana… you know what, it'll probably be fine. After all, he did say, and I quote, 'if you ever have an interest in someone, bring them here, and I'll whip them into shape.' "Sure. He's quite a-"

My words are interrupted by a loud 'BANG'.

"Dammit, the siege is starting already?! Get to safety Firana, I'll arrange a meeting with the General tomorrow, I've got to go!"

Dashing outside faster than my old human legs could carry me, I take off almost instantly. The view of the city… not good. Trebuchets are throwing burning rocks into the city, and fire archers are launching volley after volley of flaming arrows.

I arrive at the gatehouse, and land beside the General.

"So…"

I begin the sentence, knowing what the General will say afterwards.

"…the siege of Warfang begins."

 **And…. END OF ACT 2! That took forever to type up. I mean, it didn't otherwise it wouldn't be out here, with you reading it, but the point remains, it took far longer than I expected to type this up.**

 **Act 3 will begin in the next chapter. You can expect a lot of action, and probably a bit of Obsidian X Firana. Mithril should start to really shine, and… well, I'm not going to spoil it.**

 **Please leave a review, or message me if you are uncomfortable pointing out my flaws in public. I'd really like to know how I did.**

 **Until next time…**


	18. 17: Abyssal Flames

**Chapter 17: Abyssal Flames**

 **I have no idea how many chapters are going to be in act 3, so you can expect quite a few. Yes, it is pretty much entirely the Siege of Warfang, well done for figuring that out Sherlock, if you have a problem with that go type up your own fanfic.**

 **There is a two-day time gap between this chapter and the last chapter, mostly so I could start off act 3 with the apes breaking into the city. For your information, I have played the total war games, and I've read history books, so I know a thing or two about siege and battle tactics. You can't really expect much from the apes, other than 'get inside and kill anything that moves', but the dragons, cheetahs, and moles… well, they'll be implementing strategy.**

 **With that out of they way, try not to completely lose your mind while reading this, it may get confusing.**

(Obsidian's POV)

The city is on fire. It has been for the past couple of days. At first, the citizens of Warfang tried to put out the flames, but when they realised it was pointless, they fled into the city castle. We've managed to keep the apes outside the walls for now, but it is only a matter of time before they get inside. We've only got so many arrows, and they've got plenty of materials to build siege equipment with.

Any dragons who've tried to escape have been killed, shot down mid-flight by the apes. In the beginning of the siege, the Guardians tried to 'lead' the dragons of the city to the 'safety' of the dragon temple, but the hail of arrows forced them to turn back. Cowards will find no safety in this siege.

Unfortunately, it seems like the apes are about to break into the city. They've managed to construct battering rams, siege towers, and ladders. I've spent the past few days trying to halt the construction of the siege equipment, but I am only one half-dragon, and there are many apes that need killing. More than once I've had to thank the castle blacksmith for the ebony armour I'm currently wearing. Surprisingly effective at deflecting arrows, all things considered.

That isn't to say that I haven't had my fair share of injuries. My armour doesn't cover my wings, and it doesn't stop a strong ape from dislocating a limb. I've become overly familiar with red crystals over the past couple of days, to the point where I'm thinking about getting Mithril involved. A second pair of hands, or paws in this case, would be extremely welcome. I introduced the General to Mithril at the start of the siege, and Mithril has been going through a similar training program to the one I went through. Today is the day I ask if he's ready.

Walking down the deserted street, I eventually reach the abandoned restaurant the General agreed to meet me at. He's got some new plan, but he doesn't want prying eyes or ears around us when he explains it to me. No idea why he chose a deserted restaurant instead of a soundproof room, but he'll have his reasons.

Entering the abandoned building, it doesn't take long for me to spot the General at the only upright table. Walking over to him, I plant Nifred into the ground, before sitting down opposite him.

"Good, you're here."

Well done, Sherlock Holmes.

"Yes, sir. May I inquire as to why you brought me here, of all places?"

"You may." The General reaches under the table, and brings out a piece of paper. "Some of my draconic scouts managed to acquire this ape plan a couple of days ago. They intend to charge straight for the keep. Their map is surprisingly detailed, more so than you would expect from apes. Meaning that we have a turncoat in the city." Why am I not surprised? Oh wait… I'm not surprised because I've suspected the Guardians for ages. "Any ideas who may be the traitor?"

"You know who I believe to be the traitors, and you know my opinion is biased, sir."

Obviously, I suspect the Guardians, but my opinion of them is about as biased as it can be.

"Yes, I know. I've already got them under watch, and it would be impossible for them to hand out information to the apes, unless the apes have a network of spies inside the city."

"You believe there to be more than one spy in the city, sir?"

THAT came as a surprise.

"I do. Think about it. No-one has been seen entering or exiting the city, except during the many battles. We have too many archers to know if a message is attached to an arrow. And we're in too bad a state to go on a witch hunt for traitors right now. Instead, I'm going to give you a day off tomorrow." WHAT?! That makes… wait… actually, that makes perfect sense! "You can spend the day however you please, and at the end of the day, you'll report any suspicious activity to me. Mithril is ready to start actively participating in battles, so don't worry about your absence impacting the fight."

"Understood. Anything else, sir?"

Probably. The General normally has a grand plan.

"Yes." What a shocker. "In the evening of today, I want you to speak with the Guardians. I want them fighting like the rest of us." I allow an evil smile to cross my face. Revenge is sweet! "If the populace realise the Guardians are fighting, they may take up arms as well, which will almost double our numbers, and by extension more than double our chances of survival. We clear?"

Um… yeah, about as clear as a stained-glass window, sir.

"Crystal, sir."

"Good." The General gets up, obviously finished. "And I heard about you and Firana." What…? Oh… that… if it weren't for my black blood, my cheeks would be redder than a tomato. "I'm going to start training her up. Now, get back to the fight, Morgul Warrior, we need every soul right now!"

As soon as I hear those words, I take off at record speeds, grabbing Nifred as I take off, and fly through a hole in the roof. I quickly survey the state of the siege. Siege ladders are approaching the east wall, a battering ram towards the gate, and two siege towers approaching the north wall. Most of the soldiers are at the gate. A few archers are launching burning arrows into the masses by the north wall. A couple battalions of dragons are at the east wall, getting ready to repel the incoming apes. It goes without saying, I'm needed at the north wall.

Diving down, I fly towards the north wall, almost breaking the sound barrier. Quite painful on my wings, but that is probably a good thing.

I land just as the first siege tower attaches itself to the wall. Apes poor across the wooden bridge, slaughtering the cheetahs and moles defending the wall. Readying Nifred, I charge at the apes, intent on slaughtering every last one of them. Pain suddenly flares in my scales, confirming that my armour is in fact working as intended.

When I reach the first ape, an unfortunate medium sized beast, I lop his head off with the clean edge of my glaive. The swing manages to nick a couple of smaller apes, who back off in terror. They've heard the stories, it seems. Good. That will make my task easier.

I infuse my element directly into Nifred. My glaive bursts into dark flames, absorbing the light in the area, and I go berserk. My blade swings in circular motions, decapitating any ape that nears me with record precision. Before long, the ape horde is withdrawing across the siege tower. Smiling, I allow a stream of dark flames to burst from my maw, engulfing and burning the siege tower to the ground. The screams of agony from inside the wooden tower is music to my ears.

Turning around, I notice that the second siege tower has already deposited its contents, a battalion of medium apes. Charging once again into the fray, I impale the first ape to get within range, before swinging around 360 degrees, discarding the impaled corpse. Most of the apes charge me, eager to kill the demon who has been tormenting their dreams for the past few days. Once again, I swing Nifred in circular motions, but this time I'm aiming for the midsections of the apes. Whenever my blade touches flesh, a scream of agony bursts out, as the ape in question burns alive.

By the time I've demolished the medium apes from the siege tower, a large ape comes out, wearing ornate chrome armour, and wielding a giant Greatsword, more a slab of metal than a bladed weapon. The ape screams, and swings his weapon at me with speeds rivalling light.

I bring Nifred up to block just in time. The obsidian shaft of my weapon easily blocks the blow, but that doesn't stop my muscles from screaming in protest. Parrying the giant weapon despite the strain it puts on my forelegs, I jump upwards. Swinging my glaive downwards, I'm surprised when the ape manages to block the blow from my glaive. Well… he forgot about my natural weapons.

Keeping the bladed edge of Nifred on the Greatsword during my descent, I swing my tail blade downwards, catching the ape on the back of the neck. Landing on my hind legs, I pull my tail blade out of the ape, knocking him to the ground, before stabbing Nifred into his forehead, killing him instantly.

My battle finished, I turn towards the remaining siege tower. The remaining cheetahs and moles have already started burning it down. Satisfied with my work, I start flying back to the keep.

(Spyro's POV)

"It's alright Spyro, you'll never have to go through that again."

I can't get the images of torture out of my mind. Those apes had poured a vicious, yellow acid down my throat, and up my… the pain… and the whips… no matter how hard I try, I can't get the images out of my head.

"Spyro?"

I tried speaking a couple of hours ago. The pain… I can't think straight. All I can think of is the torture…

"Spyro!"

A slap from Cynder's tail blade snaps me out of my trance. My thoughts clear.

"C… Cynder?"

My head feels all kinds of wrong right now… as does my throat. Speaking doesn't hurt as much as it used to, but it is still painful.

Cynder breaks down when she hears me speak. Tears stream from her eyes faster than water streams down a waterfall.

"I thought I lost you!" Cynder manages to speak through her tears. "When Obsidian rescued you, he told me that you may not recover fully. That you might… might come out without your memory." Without my memory? I mean, I can remember everything clearly. Defeating Malefor, Sparx annoying the life out of me, even my doubts about Obsidian. "Thank the Ancestors you're okay…"

After a few more minutes Cynder manages to calm down. I was about to ask a couple of questions, when Obsidian burst through the door. He looks… different. I can't quite place how.

"If you're done, Cynder, I need to speak with Spyro. You can stay, I just need to know how he's doing, and when he'll be up to fighting again."

Cynder turns on Obsidian, a dark mist escaping from between her scales.

"Fighting?! In his current condition?! We've been giving him healing crystals for days now, and he only just managed to speak a full word. You expect him to be up to _fighting_?!"

Obsidian somehow remains calm.

"No, I expect him to be up to fighting _after_ he's recovered. I just need to speak with him."

Cynder calms down, and motions for Obsidian to sit down next to her. The black dragon walks towards me, and sits down a short distance away from Cynder.

"How are you feeling, Spyro?"

I manage to open my maw, and croak out a reply.

"Sore."

Now that I have a closer look at Obsidian, I can see why he looks different. He is wearing some form of black armour that looks far too tight to fight in.

"Can you remember anything about the battle with Malefor?"

Just about.

"Everything."

Obsidian's eyes go bloodshot, but not the usual kind of bloodshot I've come to expect from him. There is no glow from his irises.

"I see. In that case, you should be back in peak condition in a couple more days. And before you ask, my armour is designed to cause me pain, hence the strength I showed when I rescued you."

Obsidian gets up, and starts to leave.

"By the way Cynder," Obsidian stops walking mere feet from the door. "the apes are about to break into the city. If you feel up to fighting, the General would be extremely welcome. At this point, we need every soul."

With that closing remark, Obsidian leaves me and Cynder alone.

(Obsidian's POV)

Sighing as I leave the infirmary, I start to make my way towards the Guardians' chamber. An emergency bunker, of sorts, designed to protect the Guardians in the case of a siege. A bit of a cowardly move on the architect's part, but it is possible that the Guardians weren't as corrupt back in the day.

When I arrive at the massive, elementally sealed door, I knock. Hopefully, the Guardians will see reason, and help with the war efforts, but I doubt it. They're cowards, the lot of them.

The doors open outwards, and I'm not surprised to see Terrador staring me down.

"Why are you here?"

Why am I here? Why do you think, hollow-brain?

"I have a message from the General. He wants you three to fight in the siege in an attempt to boost morale, and I intend to see that you do."

"Or what?" What do you think? "Or you'll go running to the General with your tail between your legs?"

"No." What I have planned is much better than that. "I'll publicly announce that you refused to help defend this city. We'll see if you're still popular when the masses realise that you're a bunch of cowards. Because that's how blackmail works."

(Time skip)

Long story short, the Guardians agreed to help defend the city. When I publicly announced this, the masses erupted into a massive cheer. I almost pity the apes. We've probably just doubled our numbers, and the Guardians are vicious fighters according to eyewitnesses. If it weren't for the numbers of the apes, I would pity them. Unfortunately, they outnumber us, so I see no reason to pity them.

"Hello."

"Firana, do you really intend to join me on my watch?"

"It's boring back in the keep. The Guardians have all us teenagers running errands for the local populace. I'd rather be out here, where the action is."

"Fair enough."

Firana settles down strangely close to me, and extends a wing over my back. Honestly, it's a comfort. I've been working myself to death for the past couple of days, so I'm secretly appreciative of the gesture.

The sunset is oddly romantic, despite the danger just below the walls. I try to focus on forest below us, but the dragoness to my left keeps stealing my attention. The sunset isn't helping in that regard.

Before long, both me and Firana find ourselves staring into each other's eyes. Honestly, if it weren't for the pupil dilation, I could lose myself in those surprisingly beautiful red eyes… no, stop there Obsidian, you don't need a romantic attachment in the middle of a siege!

…but my conscious mind has been pushed to the side in favour of my new instincts. The red irises, the large, black pupils, the lack of veins, everything about those eyes just… captivated me. Before I know what I am doing, my head is leaning forward. Firana is doing the same thing. Our snouts touch, and we both open our maws. And… we have our first kiss.

 **OH MY GOODNESS THAT LAST BIT WAS DIFFICULT TO WRITE!**

 **Sorry, I had to write that down to convey the message of how difficult writing this chapter was. So… Firana and Obsidian are now officially a thing. Took long enough, don't you think? No, you think it should have taken longer? Well, you're the one with a brain in your head, not me… because self-deprecating humour, and I'm not very good at it. NO, I am NOT doing any lemony content at any point in time, so do not ask.**

 **On a more positive note, even though there isn't one because I'm bad a writing fluff, everything is in place for me to properly start the siege. And I'm not talking about the good old 'keep them out the walls' siege, I'm talking about the 'battle in the streets, war of attrition, storming the keep' kind of siege. You know, the interesting stuff.**

 **Why does Obsidian wield a glaive, you ask? Why not a sword, or his natural weapons? Simple. Because a glaive has a lot of reach, a heavy swing, and lacks the restrictions of spears, pikes, bows, and other long-reach weapons. I was tempted to give him a Claymore, or a Bastard Sword, but the glaive won out.**

 **A few details about Nifred, Obsidian's glaive. As stated, it has an obsidian shaft, and a longsword-like blade with one serrated side. What isn't stated, is what material was used for the blade. To answer that question, ebony. To answer any further questions, the shaft is made of obsidian because it is a light, hard material that is difficult to break when reinforced. The flag that is often attached to Nifred is simply a black piece of cloth, with a Darksign carefully woven into the material. The word 'Nifred' is LOTR Sindarin, and it roughly translates to 'fear'.**

 **Until next time…**


	19. 18: Traitor to a Treacherous Cause

**Chapter 18: Traitor to a Treacherous Cause**

 **There really isn't much for me to say here, other than enjoy the show, and merry Christmas.**

 **So, enjoy, and merry Christmas!**

(Firana's POV)

I can't believe it. I've had my first kiss, with Obsidian no less! I'm not sure whether it was his conscious mind or his supressed instincts driving him then, and I don't care. I've actually, properly, kissed Obsidian…

The rest of the night was uneventful. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I know Obsidian is shaking me awake with a forepaw.

"Wake up Firana, the sun is rising. And as much as I'd like to stay put, I've got the day off today, and I intend to make it a productive day off."

Reluctantly, I open my eyes, and I'm greeted by the same orange eyes I've become so familiar with. There is no blood in those eyes, no fiery glow in the irises… just a beautiful, dimmed flame behind them, which for some reason only I can see.

Then, it hit me. Obsidian has the day off?! BRILLIANT! I can finally take him on a second date!

"One more thing, Firana. I'm going to be introducing you to the General later today, like you asked. He's nicer than you'd think. Give him the respect he deserves, and he'll grow on you, trust me."

I manage to get up. For whatever reason there is a pain in my four legs… looking down, I see why. The scales are red… err, redder than usual.

"'Sidian, what happened last night?"

Obsidian allowed a large grin to cross his face.

"While you slept, you were rubbing yourself against my armour. Probably bruised your legs in the process, but you should be fine."

Rubbing myself against Obsidian's ebony armour while sleeping? What could- please don't tell me it's _that_ time of year already! But if the excitement in my chest is anything to go by, it is. Dammit, Ancestors! I thought you arranged this time of year to keep dragons alive, not to kill them off from all the wrong kinds of excitement!

"Anyways, we should head back. I've got a General to introduce you to, and then we've got the day to ourselves."

But what about the Guardians?

"But the Guardians-"

"Have lost my respect, and cannot order me around anymore." That was short and to the point, wasn't it? "Besides, this is a warzone, meaning that the lowest ranking captain outranks the Guardians. Not to mention, I've been given the title 'Morgul Warrior'. As far as rank concerns… well, I outrank the Guardians, so if they try to boss us around, they can eat my _shrak_."

That reminds me…

"What does 'shrak' mean, exactly?"

"It's Black Speech" Obsidian begins to explain. "for 'dragon dung'."

I'm satisfied with that explanation.

Taking off first, Obsidian follows closely behind me. He's improved his flying abilities drastically since I last saw him. His wing work is no longer clumsy, and he doesn't seem to exhaust himself by flying anymore. The muscles underneath his armour probably have something to do with that.

(Time skip)

(Obsidian's POV)

Landing at Warfang Castle just after Firana, it doesn't take long for me to locate the entrance to the keep. After all, it is the only building in the city with solid steel doors.

Entering the keep, I take a left, with Firana following closely behind. Interestingly, almost all of the underground section of the castle is dedicated to the Warfang military. I've never been able to find out why… probably been that way for generations, and no-one has seen fit to change it.

When Firana enters the 1st underground hall, she gets quite a shock. Two cheetahs are having a punch-out in the make-shift arena. I've gotten used to this over the past few days, but this is Firana's first time here…

I lead Firana towards the 'office' belonging to the General. I knock with the blunt end of Nifred. It takes a whole minute before a 'come in' is heard.

"Come in."

I enter the room, motioning for Firana to follow.

"Ah, so this is your fiancé, is she?"

Firana's cheeks turn a deep crimson… well, more of a deep crimson than they naturally are.

"Yes, sir, she is. General, this is Firana, my girlfriend. Firana, this is the General."

"Pleased to meet you."

The General extends a paw. Probably expecting Firana to shake it… the only problem, is that Firana knows almost nothing about traditions.

When Firana doesn't shake the offered paw, I decide to step in.

"You're supposed to shake it."

Firana appears to snap out of a daze, before extending her own paw. The two new acquaintances shake paws in an almost human-like fashion, before returning to their draconic sitting positions.

Well, this is awkward to the nth degree.

(Time skip)

(Warfang Castle Gardens, just to clarify location)

Long story short, after a long awkward silence, I managed to get Firana and the General to hold a casual conversation with each other, and, I can't believe I'm saying this, they both enjoyed it very much. The General agreed to teach Firana the basics of combat tomorrow, if the siege doesn't distract him, and-

"Something bothering you, 'Sidian?"

"What…? Oh, Firana." I must have lost myself in my own thoughts. "Sorry, I got lost in my own thoughts."

Firana then… giggles? WHAT?! I mean, I know girls can be weird at times, but giggling in the middle of a siege, at me getting lost in my own thoughts no less?

"What's the deal with you, Obsidian?" What do you mean, exactly? "You're unlike any other male dragon I've ever met. You think with your head instead of your instincts, your element is dark but hasn't corrupted your mind," Yet. "you're about as selfless as they come, and you're loyal to a fault." Alright, stop painting me as someone I'm not, please. "How do you manage it?"

"Honest answer: I don't." Seriously, what has this dragoness been taking behind closed doors? "I think with my head because I've had to keep my emotions in check for years. My element hasn't corrupted me because my instincts have separated themselves from my mind, creating a duel-personality of sorts, with my other personality taking all the corruption." Not entirely true, but it is the only way to describe my draconic side without giving anything away. "I'm not selfless, I just have morals. And I'm not loyal, everyone I have ever trusted has betrayed me at some point in time, bar Mithril."

I find it hard to believe anyone would mistake me for a good person. I may be a good person on the inside, but I'm a merciless killer on the outside. I accepted that at the start of this siege, when I realised I felt no remorse for the apes I slaughtered. I may have good reasons behind my actions, but the actions in question are usually the wrong ones.

"Nonsense! When those ice dragons took me captive, you rescued me without any concern for your own safety. When the city was attacked, you put your life on the line to help get others to safety. And instead of fleeing from the law, you embraced it's confines and allowed yourself to be punished. All of those are selfless acts, which wouldn't be possible if you were corrupted by your element. And loyalty? You've been loyal to me so far, haven't you?"

I'm finding it increasingly hard to disagree with Firana. Probably something to do with the fact that she's right. I don't want to accept that, mostly because I know that I'm a remorseless killer at heart, but… I still kill for the right reasons. I protect my friends, and I've been loyal to Firana so far. The Guardians betrayed me, but I put my life on the line for everyone in the city regardless. And I almost never act on instinct. Except that one time where I shared my first kiss with Firana, but… well, I gave into my instincts then, but I don't care.

"*sigh* You're probably right, as usual. I just don't want to accept the fact that I'm more than a remorseless killer."

"Why not?"

"Because I feel _nothing_ for the apes I kill. I know, they're apes, they're the enemy, but they probably have children. Families. But I feel _nothing_ when I kill them. NOTHING AT ALL. It would be better if I did, because I wouldn't then be questioning myself, but… *sigh*… I just… I can't live with myself any longer. I don't feel anything for the people I kill, and I hate myself for it. The only thing keeping me alive right now, is the fact that I'm the only thing keeping innocents alive. If I died, the resulting deaths would stop me from being able to rest in the grave… and…"

I finally break down completely, for the second time in ten years. Firana drapes a wing over my shoulder, pulling me into an embrace while tears flow from my eyes. A few, near silent sobs escape my maw. Everything… the pressure on me from the war, the betrayal of the Guardians, my training coming so close to killing me… the stress of it all poured out of me like water from a bucket.

After what felt like hours, but could only have been minutes, the floodgates close, and I finally manage to bring my emotions back in check. I honestly feel better for that. Much better.

"Come along, Obsidian. You'll need a drink, and some food, after that. And I even have the night planned out for us."

I barely notice what Firana is saying. Because, out of the corner of my eye, I spot a cheetah. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned, but this cheetah was trying not to be seen.

I frown, but I follow Firana anyways. I'll have to remember this, the General will be interested, but there are more important things to focus on now. For starters, the weight that is now off my chest.

(Unknown POV)

I walk down the mostly deserted street. My contact agreed to meet me here. Near enough to the apes for him to call for backup, but far enough from the fighting to be safe.

"Do you have it?"

A voice breaks out from the shadows.

"Yes. You will hold to your end of the deal. The freedom of dragon-kind."

A large ape clad in ebony armour steps from the shadow. I hand him a piece of paper containing detailed plans of Warfang Castle, and a couple of other useful titbits of information, like the Morgul Warrior's infatuation with the fire dragoness Firana.

The ape in black armour turns away, sinking back into the shadows.

"Dragon-kind is free to die on their own terms. In this city, shot by my soldiers, or in the forest alone and scared."

It takes a moment to realise what I've done. Magath never intended to hold to his part of our deal. He will slaughter every dragon in the city… and I've just given him the means to do so.

The next thing I know, a dagger hits me in the chest, and I know no more…

 **Well… that was a short chapter, but a very enlightening one. So… the apes now have the means with which to take down Warfang, and they very probably have the numbers… but the question remains, who exactly is the traitor? I never specified who it is, or even which species it is. You're free to speculate, just try to keep those speculations logical… not that logic is a major part of this fanfic, but still!**

 **Another interesting point is Obsidian's sudden emotional outburst. Yeah… that was kind of unnecessary, but with the way the last chapter turned out, there was no way I was going to skip the fluff of this chapter.**

 **Until next time…**


	20. 19: Light dimmed, Abyss weakened

**Chapter 19: Light dimmed, Abyss weakened**

 **Well, the last chapter was kind of cute, wasn't it? What's that, it wasn't because I'm bad at writing? Oh, what a shocker… anything else Sherlock? Yes, it's a little thing called comedy, and I'm not any ****ing good at it at 2-oclock in the morning!**

 **On a much more serious note, I do believe that we'll finally be getting to the main part of act 3 in either this chapter or the next chapter, so there will probably be a lot less fluff and a lot more action in both this chapter and the next chapter.**

 **With my short rant out of the way, enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

"So, Morgul Warrior, how did your day off go?"

"Quite well, General. I managed to sort through some personal issues, and I believe I may have spotted a traitor."

"Really? Elaborate."

"I saw a cheetah spying on me and Firana in the castle gardens. I wouldn't be suspicious normally, but he was trying not to be seen."

"I see. As it happens, a cheetah citizen was brought into the infirmary last night. A throwing knife to the chest. Missed his heart by millimetres, according to the nurses."

"A cheetah citizen, sir?"

"Yes. I'd suggest you go interrogate him, but you're needed at the gates. The apes are preparing for another push. Mithril is already there."

"Understood, sir!"

With that last remark, I turn around and bolt for the office door. I mean, I thought the apes were almost done for. The ferocity of their attacks has decreased since the beginning of the siege, and they've stopped throwing their best soldiers at us, most likely because they don't want to risk them against me and mithril, but possibly because they've run out of good soldiers. I hope it's the latter, but Magath, the ape king… when I met him, he seemed smarter than the rest of the apes.

It doesn't take long for me to find the keep exit. Sprinting outside at speeds rivalling Sonic the Hedgehog, I take off in record time. If the painfully loud 'BANG' I get after I take off is anything to go by, I've just broken the sound barrier.

When I arrive at the gates, something seems off. The apes have gathered, but it doesn't seem like they gathered for another attack.

"Mithril."

"Obsidian. They're preparing for another push."

Considering the lack of siege equipment, probably not.

"I doubt it. There's no battering ram."

"True… another thing. No-one has seen Firana since yesterday."

WHAT?! …alright, that's a problem. Best-case scenario, the General has been secretly training her. Worst-case scenario, the apes have captured her and intend to use her as leverage.

A large ape in gilded, chrome armour steps from the crowd. He lifts half of a tail blade… if the separation is anything to go by, half of Firana's tail bladed!

"Firana's tail blade…"

"My warriors have captured the fiancé of a certain black dragon." Magath, the ape king, and leader of this assault. "Send out the so called 'Morgul Warrior' to fight in my arena. And upon his death, or his triumph, the dragoness will be returned, unharmed. Refuse, and I shall leave her with my boys and let them do as they please to her." Are you trying to get me mad? If so, I swear to the seven deadly sins, I will roast your corpse and feed you to the wolves! "You have one hour to make your decision."

With that final remark, the ape king turns tail, and walks back into the mob he calls an army. I'm panicking. I know what those apes are like. They'll probably do… unspeakable things… to Firana if I leave her with them. But if I decide to fight, they'll probably kill her if I fail…

"Obsidian…?"

Cynder?! Since when did you… you know, I'm not even going to question it.

"Yes, Cynder, I know, the apes have likely already killed Firana. So, I'm going to do something stupid. I'm going to agree, and if they refuse to hand back Firana after I succeed, I'll burn the forest to the ground."

(Time skip)

(Firana's POV)

I can't see anything. I can smell the rotten food placed in front of my maw, I can feel the chains digging into my legs, and I can hear apes chatting. But I can't see. I've been blindfolded, chained, and muzzled, in that order, and I hate it. I can see now why Obsidian doesn't feel remorse when he kills the apes. They are barbaric!

Suddenly, I hear the tent open, and a large ape walks in. I can tell, mostly thanks to the heavy steps he takes.

"Well, little dragoness, it would seem like your boyfriend agreed to fight in our makeshift arena." My heart sinks. I know the apes have no intention of upholding their end of the bargain. "So, unfortunately I can't have all of my fun with you yet. But, trust me, as soon as the Morgul Warrior drops dead, I'll be able to enjoy myself. And I would bet all of Warfang that you won't enjoy it."

I can't supress a growl any longer, despite my efforts.

"What, is the dragoness angry? Oh, don't be angry. After all, getting emotional won't help you."

Another, more prominent growl escapes my throat. Despite the muzzle, I bear my fangs, my intentions clear.

"You can't escape, so don't bother trying. And, although I can't have all my fun with you yet, I certainly can have some."

I hear the ape move behind me. I start to shake in fear. Is he going to do to me what was done to Spyro? Is he going to whip me? Cut off my wings? Remove the rest of my tail blade?

No, none of those. He grabs my tail, and forces it up. I immediately blush as I realise what he is about to do… not _that_ , strictly speaking, but close enough… tears start to fall into my blindfold. I suddenly hope that Obsidian doesn't keep his end of the deal either, and instead rescues me, before the ape has enough, and takes… _that_ … from me…

(Obsidian's POV)

I walk into the makeshift arena, Nifred in my right paw. Quite a simple setup, really. Wooden fences, surrounded by a bunch of over-excited apes. They seem eager for blood. I intend to give it to them.

 **Finally!**

Yes, I'm fully intent on ripping any opponents limb from limb, glad you noticed Mr draconic side, anyways…

A large ape clad in white armour steps forward, a massive mace in his right hand. It appears the crowd favour their champion's chances. After all, light beats darkness, does it not?

Then again, I don't wield darkness, since darkness is merely the absence of light. No, I wield dark flames, a contradiction, so I should be able to overpower this ape with ease. Especially since the internal spikes in my armour are causing me pain.

Magath walks onto a raised platform in the crowd.

"Welcome, everyone, to the main event. The so-called 'Morgul Warrior' against my right hand, Mubullat." So, this is the idiot who kidnapped Spyro, is it? I'm going to enjoy killing him. "The terms of the fight: Free for all. First to kill their opponent wins. If Mubullat wins, Firana will become free game for any ape here by midnight." That is met with cheers from the crowd. I unconsciously growl in disgust. "If the Morgul Warrior wins, Firana is to be released, unharmed, back into the city. However, I said nothing about allowing the Morgul Warrior back into the city."

I knew it, I ****ing knew it! Magath has no intention of upholding his end of the bargain. If I'm dead, there is no-one to ensure he does, so he's going to unleash the apes on me after I win… well, if the horde is released on me after my victory, I will burn this forest to the ground, even if I must 'drink' from the Well of Souls itself!

"Begin!"

Mubullat walks towards me, attempting to impress me with fancy mace-work. I'm not intimidated that easily. After all, I'm the one who can set his weapon on fire.

Pouring all my pain and anger into Nifred, it bursts into the dark flame I have become familiar with over the last few months. Twirling my now blazing glaive around in the air in a display of power, I've made my decision. If this is to be my end, I will make _such_ an end, as to be worthy of legend!

"Welcome to the arena, dragon." Mubullat, you are treading dangerous ground. "The crowd screams for your blood, and I will deli-"

I've had enough of his mouth. I charge forward, Nifred trailing shadowy flames. Swinging my glaive horizontally, I'm not surprised when Mubullat blocks my blow. What I am surprised by, is the lack of strength behind his block. Every other large ape I have fought has been incredibly strong, why not this large ape?

Mubullat parries my blow, albeit with difficulty, and attempts a counterattack. He swings his mace slowly, hoping that the weight behind the blow will send me flying. I allow a small grin to cross my face, and I bring up my left forepaw. I catch the mace just below the metal head, stopping it clean in its tracks. I wrench the mace from Mubullat's grip, before swinging it at the head of its' previous wielder. I drop the mace before the blow even connects, turning my swing into a throw. While Mubullat is readying himself to catch his mace, I feel a sudden surge of power. Nifred's flames double in intensity, and everything just… stops. Almost. I can still see everything moving, it is just moving far slower than I am. I ready my glaive, and thrust it forward. Time catches up with me just as my blade connects with Mubullat's throat. I pull my blade out, flick it clean of blood, and I turn to the crowd, rage filling my head.

" **I have upheld my end of the bargain. And your great 'champion' lies dead at my paws!"**

The crowd devolves into disbelieving whispers. I manage to overhear some of them.

"What was that?"

"Are the rumours true?"

"He moved faster than lightning!"

"How do we fight this?"

I decide to put an end to this before it gets out of hand.

" **For fighting this, pitiful foe, you,"** I point Nifred at the ape king. **"the ape king, promised to release Firana unharmed. I made no such agreement!"**

My anger simply explodes. Once again, time seems to slow down.

" **FIND FIRANA, AND BRING HER TO ME, OR I WILL SEND EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU TO THE BURNING HELLS!"**

With that last demand, I shift my focus back to the ape king. He is shaking in fear, most likely because I just demolished his right hand with relative ease. Fitting, really. He's shaking in fear, and my weapon's name means 'fear'. Almost poetic.

"Bring him the dragoness."

A small ape goes into a large, gilded tent. After five minutes of seething anger, a red dragoness with a broken tail blade walks out of the tent in chains… and she looks like she's seen a ghost.

It takes Firana a few seconds to spot me, but when she does, she runs towards me at lightning speeds. Just before she reaches me, however, her chain pulls her back. The ape king stands at the edge of the arena, and is holding a knife to Firana's throat.

"So, Morgul Warrior, you have proven yourself worthy of your title." Magath is still shaking in fear, but he seems a lot more confident now that he has a bargaining chip. "So… if I give you your girlfriend, you will not harm any of my soldiers until after you get back to Warfang?"

I nod my head, my anger dissipating slightly. Nifred loses the dark flames, as I focus my anger and pain back towards my insides.

"Swear it!"

I bring my no-longer-burning glaive to my left paw, and I slice my scales open, allowing black blood to flow out. I clench my left paw into a fist.

" **I swear, with the ancestors as my witness, that I will not harm you or your soldiers, until both me and Firana have returned safely to Warfang, on the condition that you allow us both to return to Warfang unharmed."**

The ape king seems to lose his fear.

"Agreed."

Magath produces a key, and releases Firana from her chains. The red dragoness immediately runs towards me, and forces me into an embrace.

"I thought… I thought you wouldn't be able to…"

"Hush now." Firana is borderline hyperventilating. "You're safe now. No-one will ever harm you again, I promise."

Breaking our heart-warming reunion, I take off, Firana following closely behind me. I'm going to ask her what she went through later, but for now, I'll let those memories rest.

(Time skip)

(Lightna's POV)

My training has been progressing smoothly. Ever since the Guardians announced that they were going to fight in the siege, I've been training with a group of volunteers. If the apes get in the city, I want to help fight them off.

Mithril arrived back early today. He said that the apes were not going to attack, because they were occupied with Obsidian. I almost pity the apes. Obsidian is the only dragon I can't beat in a sparring session. I usually come out of those sessions with broken bones, I dread to think how the apes will come out of their beating.

"He's back! And he has Firana with him!"

Turning my gaze towards the sky, it looks like Obsidian is back. And he has Firana with him. I'm not sure what the relevance is, but if the look on Firana's face is anything to go by, she was probably captured… and tortured.

When the two land, I walk towards Firana.

"Firana…"

She doesn't even notice me. Firana just brushes past me as if I don't exist.

"Firana!"

Obsidian quickly gives chase. He's probably… he's probably going to end up in her room tonight. After all, the yearly cycle began with the siege, so both their instincts are probably going through the roof.

(Time skip)

(Obsidian's POV)

(Just to clarify, Firana's room)

"Firana!"

I finally manage to catch up with Firana. She's fast when she wants to be, I'll give her that.

"Obsidian?"

Firana is in tears. For whatever reason, it would seem like she's been through torture… like Spyro.

"Firana…" I can feel tears coming to my eyes… along with blood. "What…"

I'm lost for words, but Firana definitely isn't.

"The got me in the night. I have no idea how, but they managed to sneak into the keep and capture me while I slept. They bound, muzzled, and blindfolded me. And after they offered you that deal they… they…"

"Firana…" Took long enough for me to find my voice. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

Firana looks up at me through her tears.

"No, I have to say this. They… they actually…" Firana steels herself, then just comes out and says it. "They RAPED me! The right hand of the king, Mubullat or whatever his name was. He… he forced me to… do things… and then he… he lifted my tail up… and… he forced himself… into the wrong hole… the pain! I can't even… I thought he was going to… take _that_ from me afterwards… and… and…"

Firana completely loses it. She stops sobbing, and starts wailing instead. Holy hell… I never thought apes would stoop so low as to mentally scar a teenage dragoness, let alone… do that.

I drape a wing around Firana, my eyes filling completely with blood. Not in anger, but in sadness, and pity.

Over the next ten minutes, Firana's wails turn into sobs, and those sobs turn into whimpers. I pull Firana closer to me in a hug.

"Firana, look at me." Firana shifts her gaze from the floor, and looks me in the eye. "You don't have to worry about going through that ever again, I promise, even if I have to kill every living ape myself."

Firana manages a small smile, and crawls into her bed. I try to walk off, but a tug at my tail stops me. When I turn around again, Firana is sitting there, tail entwined with mine, looking at me with pleading eyes. Well… I've come this far. If Firana needs a body pillow, who am I to deny her?

I walk up to Firana, and I get in her bed. The smell is rather… strong, to say the least, but that isn't why I'm here. I snuggle up to Firana, letting her cuddle me. It barely takes a minute for Firana to fall asleep, a sad, but content, smile on her face. I allow a similar smile to cross my face, and I quickly fall into the same trap as Firana: Sleep.

 **Aw… how cute. Firana and Obsidian, sitting in a tree… I'm going to digging this particular hole.**

 **So… yes, that is… now a thing. The main reason I included the fact that Firana got tortured in** _ **that**_ **way, was to fuel the fires of rage in Obsidian. If you have a problem with that, go read a K rated story. There are going to be uncomfortable and offensive details in almost any T rated story, so you can't complain.**

 **There will probably be a lot less Obsidian in the next chapter, and a lot more Mithril in the next chapter, so you have that to look forward to… along with the siege getting real.**

 **Until next time…**


	21. 20: Convexity Convenes

**Chapter 20: Convexity Convenes**

 **This will likely be a confusing chapter. Questions will be raised, answers will be few and far between, and apes will be slaughtered by the hundreds. Well… the last one would happen anyway, since dragons, cheetahs, and moles have no love for apes.**

 **If you must know, Mithril will be the focus of this chapter. No, he will not be a light clone of Obsidian, partially because he has his own personality, but mostly because of the way he fights. You'll see what I mean if you keep reading.**

 **Anyways… enjoy!**

(Mithril's POV)

I just heard the news. Firana and Obsidian are safe, if a bit emotional right now. Good. That frees me up to concentrate on the siege. The apes are preparing… something. I'm not sure what they're preparing, but it fills my stomach with dread. Among other things, like anger.

A group of apes, shielded by a giant wooden board, walk up to the gate. I can barely hear what is going on down there… but I do manage to hear this: _"Leav convexiavausan molva inavo avhe ciavy, agh deukavroausan avhe hope gith avhaav iuk kulkodar"_

It doesn't take long for me to realise what is happening. I glance at our soldiers behind the gate. Organised in a pike wall, and dangerously close to the gate. If I'm right…

"GET CLEAR OF THE GATE!"

The soldiers forming the pike wall barely have time to react. The gate blasts open, a massive, purple energy blasting its' way from the gate in a spectacular explosion of power. I recognise this energy from the games. Convexity.

I jump out of the gatehouse just as the convexity energy melts it. I manage to land amid the scattered moles and cheetahs, instead of IN FRONT of them where I was aiming to land. I would say 'thus, is the folly of me' but that's Obsidian's line. Oh well, make do with what you have, even if what you have is a one-way ticket to hell its ****** self.

A group of armoured apes charge me and the downed soldiers, intent on capitalising on our sudden weakness. Not on my watch. I open my maw, and launch a stream of blinding, silver light at the apes. While I can only keep this up for so long, since my element is mana-based unlike Obsidian's, I should at least be able to buy the soldiers some time to retreat.

When I run out of energy, I risk a quick glance behind me. Most of the cheetahs and moles have retreated, but a few are standing loyally with me. I can tell, they're afraid, but their loyalty somehow outweighs their fear. Kind of shocking, but I'll roll with it.

I turn my head back towards the apes. The first apes to enter have been reduced to smouldering piles of ash, but that was only about 40 apes, hundreds more are pouring through the now-open gate. I ready myself. This is going to be a long and bloody battle, and I'm more than ready for it. Obsidian, with his dark flames, was able to single-handedly hold back half the ape army for _three days_. I'm probably not that capable, but I'm certain I can hold back the ape flood long enough for everyone to retreat. The cheetahs and moles at my side… not so much, but if I can hold the apes back for a minute, then these loyal soldiers can double that time.

When the first ape reaches me, I plunge my claws into his neck. I don't bother checking the size of the ape, instead reacting to the ingrained impulses I gained from the two days of training given to me when the siege started. The second ape to get within range of my claws finds himself lacking lungs. The third…

And it went on, and on, and on. Every limb I had, every single natural weapon at my disposal, killed at least twenty apes. I kept fighting long after the cheetahs and moles at my side fell. I don't have armour, so the wounds I received were many, but at the time I didn't care. All that mattered to me at the time was holding back the convexity. This was exactly like that one dream I had. The apes have turned convexity into a weapon, and I couldn't, can't, let them use it on innocents.

I must have fought for hours. My elemental energy ran out half-way through the fight, but I didn't care. I was feral at this point. In the back of my mind, I knew what I was fighting for, but at the front of my mind, all that mattered was the blood on my scales. All that mattered, was how many apes I could kill before I joined the ranks of the deceased.

Eventually, my energy began to wane. At the time I didn't notice. I just thought the apes were getting faster, but the truth was that I was getting slower. My limbs weren't responding as quickly as they were at the start of the fight. I got wounded more often. My claws eventually broke, so I swapped from slashes to punches. My tail got too badly damaged to use, so I started using my wings as weapons. Eventually, it became too much, and I collapsed.

The apes tried to capture me. They almost succeeded too. Fortunately for me, it was at that moment that the Guardians arrived. They had promised to help in the siege, and here they were… I'm almost disappointed, but gratitude won out.

When the last of the apes were driven back, Terrador turned to me.

"You alright, Mithril?"

I manage lift my head off the ground long enough for me to reply.

"No…"

And it was at that moment that death decided to have a swing at me… thankfully, he must have missed, because I fall unconscious instead of dying.

(Time skip)

Ow… why does everything hurt so much? I can barely recall what happened. I was fighting apes at the gates… there's a large blur of movement… I'm on the floor… the Guardians arrive and save my life… what?

Suddenly, my memory completely rushes back to me. Damn… did I really manage to hold off those apes for so long? It felt like minutes… holy hand grenade…

Slowly, and painfully, I open my eyes. The light, for whatever reason, doesn't hurt to look at. I blink a few times, since my vision is blurry, before fully opening my eyes.

"…in to bad a state for you to see him now, young dragoness, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait for him to wake up."

What? Oh, they're probably talking about me.

"But he's the closest thing I have to a real friend right now!" I recognise that voice… Lightna! "I can't just-"

I try to get out of the bed, but my legs don't respond as intended, and I end up faceplanting. Yay4me.

"What was that?"

A mole opens the door and walks in. Unfortunately, thanks to my faceplant, I am in _the_ most embarrassing and uncomfortable position possible.

The nurse/doctor takes one look at me, before leaving while covering her eyes. I hear some incoherent mumbling, before a yellow and black dragoness walks in. Lightna! Please, quickly, avert thine eyes, I am being the dumb, don't look, please, for both our sakes, don't even think about-

"Great Ancestors!"

And… there goes all my remaining self-esteem. Thank you, fate, aren't you just the kindest? You aren't though, case in point!

"Well…" Somehow, my vocal chords respond even though my legs won't. "This is awkward." I try to reposition into a more… comfortable position, but my legs are moving too weakly and sluggishly for that. "Could I have a little help here? I seem to be stuck in this position."

Lightna somehow manages to avoid looking dumbstruck, credit to her, and moves over to help move me. She manages to rotate my face away from the ground, but for whatever reason she pauses halfway through the manoeuvre. I'm not entirely sure why. Fortunately for me, Lightna resumes moving me after about one second of I'm assuming catching her breath. After another couple of seconds, I'm standing on my own… paws again.

"Thanks. I'm not sure what happened, my legs just wouldn't work properly." 

"Don't mention it." I open my maw to say something. "Ever."

Is Lightna being playful or serious here? I'm not entirely sure, but if the blush on her cheeks is anything to go by, it's playful.

"Alright, we'll do it your way. For now."

I swear, the giggle Lightna gives… universe, no thanks. I don't need that right now.

(Time skip)

"So, you're saying that the apes used a convexity blast to destroy the gate?"

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. Both the General and Obsidian are staring at me with disbelieving looks in their eyes.

"That about sums it up, yes." I'm still not sure what Black Speech has to do with any of this, so I left that part out. "They used some form of… incantation when they created the blast. Either it is a spell of some sort, or some ape tradition. I'm betting the former."

The General and Obsidian both share a look of worry. I mean, I know those two are practically friends, but still!

The General is the first to snap out of his disbelief.

"In that case, I suggest you go get some rest. Obsidian will do what he can to slow the apes' advance, but chances are that we're doomed. Rest up, you've earned it."

I leave the room immediately. I am tired, stressed, and wounded. I need the sleep.

"Hey."

Lightna, how do you simply appear out of nowhere?

"Hello."

An awkward silence follows. Which is a damn shame, all things considered. Lightna is quite pleasant to talk to.

"How did it go?"

I sigh.

"Not very well, as you can see."

I almost collapse.

"Easy there, Mithril. Come on, let me take you back to my room. I've got some red and green crystal patches there."

I nod. Lightna starts to lead me to her room. I'm not sure why, but I am oblivious to the smile on her face.

(Lightna's POV)

"Easy there, Mithril. Come on, let me take you back to my room. I've got some red and green crystal patches there."

Mithril nods his head, and I start to lead him to my room. I can't believe that went so perfectly. It's true, I intend to use the red and green crystals there to help fix him up, but I've also got an ulterior motive. I would solve the problem myself, but the library is in the city, not the Castle, so I can't search for a way to deal with these… urges.

When me and Mithril reach my room, I kindly (and a tad evilly) open the door for him. Mithril seems too far gone at this point for him to be able to do anything. I could probably relieve myself in front of him, and he wouldn't notice.

Mithril sits down on my bed. Not what I had planned, but I'll go with it. I walk over to the red crystal patch, tear off a couple of large chunks of crystal, and throw them over to Mithril. In his tired state, he doesn't manage to catch them. Instead, both chunks hit him on the snout. I would laugh, but I'm in too bad a state right now. Partially because of the time of year, but mostly because of the state I saw him in. Face on the ground, hind legs straight as a pole, forelegs unable to support any weight… I should probably save these thoughts for _after_ Mithril has taken his crystals.

I walk over to the green gem patch, and break off a small chunk of crystal for myself. I've had a tiring day, after all, and I'm going to need a lot of energy for what I have planned.

The green crystal flashes in my paw, before disappearing. I get that familiar rush of energy I'm so hooked to. I know, I shouldn't be using green crystals so much, but I've always had difficulty sleeping, and the tiredness the after-effects of green crystals bring me is more than enough to knock me asleep.

I break off a larger chunk of green crystal, before throwing it over to Mithril. This time, since he's healed up, he manages to catch the crystal in his paws. It flashes, disappearing in a familiar flash of light. Mithril jumps up on the bed, full of energy.

"WOW! Boy, that's much better. Thanks, Lightna."

"No problem."

"Well, I suppose I'd better be going."

Mithril jumps off the bed, and starts walking towards the door.

"Hold up." Mithril stops. His right eye widens in a questioning way, but he still stops. "I've been meaning to ask you something. Well, a couple of things, actually." Mithril nods for me to continue. "The first one… well, I was wondering if… you would like to, you know… go out with me?"

My cheeks redden faster than a tomato ripens while outside of time.

"Erm… I was not expecting that question." Well… I was expecting this answer. I brace myself for the worst. "But yes, I would like to. I just haven't had the guts to ask you out myself."

A massive smile appears on my face, and my heartbeat quickens.

"Great!" Both Mithril and I are smiling at this point. "The other thing I have been meaning to ask you." I steel myself for this. I would use the library, since this is a… sensitive subject… but the library isn't in the Castle, so I can't visit it right now, and since Mithril is a walking library… well… "I've been getting… urges… lately. I'm not sure how to make them go away."

Mithril's eyes widen in surprise.

"Describe these 'urges'."

I was kind of hoping he would know what I meant without needing clarification…

"Erm… well… let's just say that they've gotten worse today since I saw you in that… humiliating position, and that they're usually related to you."

Mithril's silver cheeks turn a bright red in a matter of seconds.

"Oh… _those_ kinds of urges…" Yeah, the kind that no-one talks about publicly. "I can't really help you with that one, since I don't know much about it." Well… that's a bit of a problem. "If it helps, I've been getting similar urges for the past few days, about… you know where I'm going with that." Mithril's cheeks somehow go a brighter red. "Well, err… goodbye?"

"Goodbye."

I'm disappointed, but I have no idea why. It isn't as if there is any-

"Wait!"

Mithril turns around, still looking flustered.

"Could you… err… stay with me tonight?"

(Obsidian's POV)

I'm observing the current situation with the siege from the top of Warfang castle, and it isn't good. Tomorrow… that is when the apes will make the big push. We are outnumbered, outgunned… our only chance is to go for their leader. Magath. From what I've seen, he holds his ego very high. I suspect that he would fight me in single combat if I proved myself… but he's also cunning. I doubt he would go into a duel unprepared. He'd probably have some backup archers ready to kill me, or worse, should the duel go in my favour.

Slowly, but surely, a plan formulates in my head. I allow a smile to cross my face. They have us outnumbered… in trained soldiers. WE have the numerical advantage. We just need the right kind of push… an inspiring speech, an act of heroism, and/or a martyr. We have our hero, Spyro, the dragon who quite literally saved the world. We have our martyr, Ignitus, the fire Guardian who sacrificed himself to get Spyro and Cynder through the ring of fire. The only thing left, is the inspiring speech…

…and, thank you Monolith Productions, I have the perfect one in mind.

 **Well… that took longer to write than I intended. And before anyone asks, whatever is implied is exactly that. Implied. It does not mean anything happened. I'm leaving that up to your imaginations. Your weird, twisted, and in some cases, perverted imaginations. No offence intended.**

 **The next chapter will be the highlight of act 3. You can expect almost exclusively action, with a very small amount of romance, and, if you're lucky, I may even decide not to leave a cliff-hanger! Even though there will be one anyways, because we have a whole other act to get through before I can wrap this fanfic up and call it finished.**

 **Until next time… the very weird, twisted, and bloody next time…**


	22. 21: Ruin

**Chapter 21: Ruin**

 **So, we've finally reached the highlight of Act 3. There will likely be a lot of blood and gore in this chapter, so turn back now if that isn't your cup of tea. If, on the other hand, your fine with that, then I have only one thing to say to you.**

 **Enjoy!**

(Obsidian's POV)

I stand at the top of the castle gatehouse, along with Spyro and Cynder, Mithril, and Firana. I explained my plan to the General last night. It is desperate, suicidal, and downright stupid, but at the moment it is our only option.

The civilian population of Warfang has gathered below, the cheetahs and moles armed with some form of weapon. They all look scared. They have a right to be scared. An ape army is approaching, intent on slaughtering every living being they get their hands on. If I were in their position, I would be scared too… but right now, I'm filled with suicidal confidence. I know the chances of my plan working are slim, but if it doesn't work, at least we'll go down fighting.

I stare at the Warfang gates. The apes have started pouring in, Magath at the head of the army. I can almost hear him taunting us.

"Obsidian," That was Firana. "There are too many of them. We can't survive if we stay here. What are we going to do?"

Mithril, Cynder, Spyro and Firana look at me. Their eyes… they are filled with fear. Not just fear of death. Fear of the deaths of others.

"Simple." I allow a smile to cross my face. "We bring this war to them."

I stand up on my hind legs, and grip Nifred tightly. I walk towards the edge of the gatehouse facing our makeshift army. I plant Nifred in the ground, the Darksign banner flying in the wind.

The few trained soldiers in the crowd eye me with hope in their eyes, but everyone else is still afraid. Well… time to see if that one speech from Shadow of War is as effective as I think.

I allow my eyes to fill with blood. Thank goodness, the spikes inside my armour cause me pain, otherwise I doubt my voice would be able to reach everyone here.

(All rights to the original speech go to Monolith Productions)

 **"The apes have conquered the city of Warfang."** I begin the modified speech, my voice echoing across the castle grounds. **"But it is still not theirs. Magath's army advances, ready to butcher every last one of us! But we will not die under his rule. We do not serve the ape king. We will sally forth on the battlefield, and reclaim this city for our own!"** The civilians in the crowd are finally starting to look more like bloodthirsty warriors than scared citizens. **"You fight for Warfang! You fight for the Dragon Realms!"** I turn around, picking up Nifred from the ground, and point it towards the ape army. The General has already opened the gates. **"CHARGE! GIVE NO MERCY, FOR YOU WILL RECEIVE NONE!"**

With that, I take off, and charge towards the ape army. Spyro, Cynder, and Firana fly with me. Mithril does too, but he's giving me the 'really?' look. I know, I used a speech from a video game. Shut up. I needed an inspiring speech, and I have the creative capacity of a slug.

I fly low, landing in front of our makeshift army. Nifred at my side, I allow my element to flow into my glaive, causing it to burst into flames. Flames, frost, and electricity are flowing slightly out of Spyro's maw. A poisonous mist is escaping from Cynder's nostrils. Firana… it goes without saying. And Mithril's eyes are glowing with a silver light. Focusing my attention back towards the ape army, I have two choice words for everyone here.

 **"TOL ARCHAN!"**

The apes seem to falter in their charge. Their mistake. The makeshift army of cheetahs, moles, and dragons crashes into the apes like a tsunami into a city. I swing Nifred in circular motions, killing any ape who dares get close to me. A poisonous mist flows from Cynder's maw, choking the ape army. Firana is launching bolts of fire into the ape army, taking out larger apes with surprising precision. A stream of silver light follows Mithril wherever he goes, enhancing his speed and allowing him to basically teleport between apes. And Spyro… I don't even know what is going on with him. He's a blur. Any ape that gets near him is torn apart by a flurry of claws, or melted by some near-invisible elemental attacks. All is going well.

Our makeshift army isn't doing too bad either, it seems. The cheetahs and moles are doing their jobs, killing at least one ape each. The dragons though… they're the heavy artillery of this battle. Elemental attacks explode everywhere, decimating the ape army. Boulders fly into the swarm of apes, crushing them like flies trapped underneath a metal ingot. Fireballs explode, turning apes into walking torches. Lightning flows between apes, leaping from one to the next. And ice spikes impale the larger apes, stopping the major threats from, well, being a threat. All is going well.

At least, it was in the early stages of the battle. In the later stages, as the cannon fodder is removed, the fight spreads out, turning from a massacre of apes into a spread-out bunch of duels to the death. I managed to lose Mithril and Firana during the battle, but I can still see Spyro and Cynder. Both are tearing apes apart, if not with elemental attacks then with claws and fangs.

I parry a blow from a large ape which survived the initial bombardment from the dragons. The giant hammer flies above the ape, allowing me to impale him on Nifred. The ape somehow doesn't die, swinging his hammer down towards me. My weapon impaled on the ape, I instead catch the hammer, twist it out of the ape's grip, and use it to crush the skull of its own wielder.

I pull Nifred out just as a pair of medium apes charge me. I decapitate both of them with a single swing, blood pumping out of the stumps that used to be their necks. I turn around, swinging Nifred in an arc, and I stop it millimetres before it hits Firana.

A large ape lies dead behind me, with blood pouring from Firana's maw.

"Woah, careful there!"

"Sorry."

I retract Nifred, and place it in the ground.

"Anyways…" Firana glances at the battlefield. "This crazy plan of yours seems to be working."

I spot something behind Firana, and I thrust Nifred over the top of her head. I impale an ape commander through the skull, killing it instantly.

"Sorry about that, ape commander about to crush you."

"It's fine." Firana stares longingly into my eyes. I would gaze back, but the first lesson I learned from the General was 'never take your eyes off your enemy'. "Anyways, as crazy as it seems, Magath is throwing his entire army at us!"

I smile, remembering a quote from Shadow of War.

"Then he will lose it all!"

I turn back towards the fight, sparing a glance at Firana.

"Don't stray too far from my side. If either of us gets in trouble, we can break the other out of it."

Firana nods. I dash back into the fray, Firana close behind me. I swing Nifred in circular motions once again, killing any apes who near me… and I somehow manage to make my way to Magath himself.

(Lightna's POV)

How does Obsidian do it? Fight like for this long, I mean? I'm exhausted.

Which unfortunately means that a large ape manages to get the jump on me. I dodge to the left, the hammer of the ape missing me by millimetres, but the weight of the impact still knocks me off balance. I launch a weak bolt of lightning at the ape, stunning him for long enough for me to leap at his throat. I bury my fangs into the throat of the massive ape, attempting to rip it out, but the ape regains control of his limbs too soon. A massive hand grabs me, and throws me painfully to the ground.

The impact knocks the wind out of me. I look up, the ape raising his hammer to the sky like he was sacrificing me to some god. I pray to the Ancestors that this will be quick.

Out of no-where, a ball of silver light impacts the ape. He bursts into silver flames, screaming in agony, before dropping dead, fires still burning his corpse.

I roll over to the left, and find a silver paw being offered to me.

"You sure that was a good idea?"

I smile, before taking the offered paw.

"It seemed like one at the time."

Both me and Mithril stare into each other's eyes, the battle around us seemingly disappearing for a moment, before focusing back on the carnage around us.

"Stay close to me. I may not be able to save you next time." 

I growl playfully at that.

"You assume there will be a next time."

(Cynder's POV)

For once in my life, I am grateful for the harsh training Malefor put me through. If it weren't for that, I would probably be dead now. Not that I'm glad Malefor captured me, but I am glad he trained me in the ways of war.

I swing my tail blade into the neck of a small ape, while shooting a blast of wind at a large ape, knocking it over and allowing the cheetah fighting it to get the killing blow. I smile. I don't like taking lives, but that doesn't stop the feral part of my mind from enjoying it.

A pair of large apes charge at me from the left. I attempt to launch poisonous gas at them, but only a small amount of gas escapes my maw. Out of poison.

I fade into the shadow realm, appearing behind one of the large apes. I jump up, and bury my claws into the back of the ape, tearing at the flesh and bone underneath them. With my fangs, I grab the head of the ape, and crush it. I jump off the back of the ape, spitting blood out of my maw. It tasted good, a small part of me said. I shake my head. It didn't taste good.

In my confusion, however, the remaining large ape manages to hit me with his hammer. I go flying into the nearest building, my head spinning. I look up. The ape thinks I'm down for the count. His mistake.

I fade once more into the shadow realm, and I reappear next to the ape. I attempt to bury my tail blade into the throat of the ape, but he sees it coming, blocking the blow with his hammer. A sudden pain registers in my side, and I feel blood dripping down my scales. My own blood, I realise.

I am picked up by the throat. I manage to clear my vision long enough to realise who is choking me. Magath, the ape king. I panic. I start clawing at the armoured hand choking me, to no avail. I can feel my throat begin to give way. So… this is the end…

A sudden blast of dark and real fire impact the ape king on the head. It barely staggers him, but it is enough to get him to drop me. I hit the ground hard, coughing up blood. A purple blur rushes to my side, speaking my name. I barely register it, as I fall unconscious.

(Obsidian's POV)

I somehow make my way to Magath himself, but I'm horrified by what I see. He is picking up Cynder, by the throat, and is probably choking her!

"SPYRO!"

The purple dragon looks in my direction as soon as I scream his name, and his eyes fill with horror. He jumps next to me, anger filling him. I nod at him. We both prepare our fires, and we unleash them together. My dark fire mixes with Spyro's real fire, creating a beautiful, but deadly, fireball. Our elemental attacks impact Magath on the head, staggering him. He drops Cynder. Spyro rushes to Cynder's aid, and I face Magath, Nifred burning hotter than ever before.

Spyro faces me, eyes pleading for help. I understand what he wants.

"Go. Get out of the city. Magath is _mine_."

Spyro nods in appreciation, before picking up Cynder and taking off. I turn back towards the ape king. His black armour mirrors mine. Magath twirls his Greatsword in the air, attempting to intimidate me. I start to growl. Magath is a coward, but a proud coward. He would probably avoid calling for aid if it killed him.

"So, _Morgul Warrior_ , time to let the great battle of our age end. Have you made your peace with the Ancestors?"

I practically laugh.

"I'll do that later."

Me and the ape kind circle each other, both searching the other for any kind of weakness.

"There is still time to surrender, young dragon."

I force every ounce of my power to flow into my physical form. Blood rushes to my eyes in quantities I didn't even know possible, and I can suddenly see Magath in a light I never saw him in before. I can see his strengths, his weaknesses, every detail about him is clearly displayed before me in his battle pose.

"Then feel free."

Magath stops circling me, and gets into a High Guard.

"How many more will die before the battle is over?"

He's trying to taunt me, to make me angry. HAH. As if that would help him.

"Just one. You."

With that, I charge at Magath, Nifred trailing darkness behind me. Magath charges at me, his massive weapon posed to split me in two. I jump up, readying my body to twist out of the way of the Greatsword. Magath starts swinging his weapon downwards, expecting to kill me with a single blow. I begin twisting my body, and duel that would decide the fate of this siege begins…

I twist my body to the side, my left wing narrowly grazing the massive, ebony Greatsword of the ape king. I land on my hind legs, and I bring up Nifred to block the expected swing coming my way. The Greatsword connects with the obsidian shaft of my weapon. I barely manage to hold my ground, my legs screaming in protest. With a surge of elemental strength, I parry the Greatsword, and bring Nifred around in a wide arc. Surprisingly, the ape king dodges backwards, his weapon carving up the floor as he moves. Magath sneers at me, before once again charging me.

I call my element towards the bladed portion of my glaive, and I swing with all my strength. The ape brings up his Greatsword to block the blow, but to no avail. My weapon slices straight through his pathetic excuse of a sword, the sharpest part of his weapon falling to the ground. Magath's eyes widen in surprise, before he drops his broken weapon, and brings out duel scythes.

"In all my years," Magath twists his second scythe, the blade straightening. "I have never been bested by a dragon." The giant ape attaches the hilts of his scythes together, forming a 'great reaper' style weapon. "I'll damn myself to Convexity if that statement changes today!"

Magath swings his new weapon with the grace and speed of a ballet dancer. I know I can't block this weapon, so I duck. Unfortunately, I forget about the second blade, and I get up just in time for it to graze my neck. Black blood starts slowly flowing out of the new wound. I narrow my eyes. The pain is more intense than I thought it would be. Good. Very good.

I force my power to collect in my maw. The heat is intense, but I can manage it. Magath swings his blade again, hoping to catch me off guard. I drop Nifred and go onto all fours, the scythe, like so many of my jokes, flying right over my head. I open my maw. A massive, dark fireball flies from my maw. Magath, in his shock, brings up the main blade of his scythe to block it.

The explosion knocks me back several metres. I manage to grab Nifred before it flies out of my reach. The dark energies exploding from the point of impact… nothing could survive that.

But Magath did survive it. Somehow. His scythe was shattered, and he is charred beyond recognition, but he somehow survived the explosion.

Magath opens his mouth, some incoherent sentences pouring out of it, before he collapses in front of me. I raise Nifred, intent on impaling his skull, but I am stopped by a scream of terror. I turn around. Firana is being held up by her wings between two large apes.

"Lay down your arms, or she loses her wings."

As much as it pains me to do so… I plant Nifred into the ground.

"Good doggy."

The apes then, against their word, pull both of Firana's wings clean off. The scream of agony, the horror, the blood pumping from the fresh stumps… it is all too much for me to take.

Pain explodes everywhere in my body, as I am completely taken by rage. Darkness floods the area, and time seems to stand still. I pick up Magath, and rip him apart in front of everyone, before dashing towards the apes who maimed Firana. I ignore Nifred completely, too taken with rage, and I tear the apes apart. Limbs fly everywhere, blood floating in the air where the limbs were torn off the apes bodies. Before I know what I'm doing, I pick Nifred up off the ground, raise it above my head, and implant it firmly into the tiled floor. Darkness explodes from the point of impact, completely covering the area in the same fiery darkness flowing from between my scales. I scream in rage, the sound coming out of my maw being the most inhumane scream of pain, horror, and sadness I have ever heard. The apes around me disintegrate as the darkness takes them whole.

When I calm down, time seems to catch up with me. The floating blood and gore hits the ground. I approach Firana, tears in my eyes. Those apes have permanently maimed her… and my hatred for them is beyond my control. No, the apes are dead now, and their king is too, but… someone has been pulling the strings. My new eyesight tells me that. Looking back into my memory, when the area was shrouded in darkness, I could see it. Something, or someone, was controlling the apes. Convexity was flying invisibly between them all, tethering them to something…

"Obsidian?"

I look down. Firana is staring up at me with pain-filled eyes.

"Please… I don't want to… live without my wings…"

I finally get my senses back.

"HEALER!"

Lightna rushes forward, with red crystals. How she got here… you know what, I don't care. If she can fix Firana's wings…

"I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't fix that."

I can't believe it… I won't believe it!

 **You don't have to.**

What?

 **Remember what I told you, about your blood being able to reattach your head to your body? Firana's wings aren't dead yet, but they will be if you don't do something.**

I quickly realise what my other half is telling me. I bring Nifred to my left paw, flames already spent, and I slit my wrist. Black blood flows out faster than anything I have ever seen. I focus my willpower. I can feel my blood. I force it into near-solid tentacles, and I force those into Firana's severed wings. My blood flows through Firana's almost-dead flesh, re-oxygenating the cells making it up.

Unfortunately, I'm not done yet. I force the blood in my wrist to clot, stopping any more from flowing out, before shifting my attention back to Firana's wings. They have almost turned black, but I don't care. I force my dark blood to re-emerge from the wings, and attach itself to Firana's severed stumps. My blood pulls the severed limbs towards their respective stumps, before escaping through the tiniest of cracks, and allowing Firana's blood to flow into the wings.

"Red… gems… Lightna…"

I can barely speak. This is taking too much of my concentration. Lightna brings a couple of large red gems forward, and presses them onto the wing joints. In a flash of light, Firana's wings are re-connected to her body, all traces of my dark blood eliminated by her strengthened immune system.

I finally allow a sigh of relief to escape my body, but… that took a lot out of me. Before I realise what is happening, I'm falling towards the ground unconscious.

(Time skip)

I wake up in a hospital bed, pain filling every inch of my body. I notice that my armour is gone. I open my eyes, ignoring the sudden pain from the light, and take a look at myself. Every scale which touched my armour is in terrible condition. Several are cracked, some are regrown scales, and a few are in pieces, with clotted blood keeping them together.

I manage to get out of bed, and onto all fours. It is painful, but I can still walk. I open the door to my room, and I find Firana arguing with a mole. Neither of them have noticed me yet.

"*cough* *cough* Excuse me, you two, but I'm awake now."

The mole looks startled, but Firana's eyes fill with joy. She tackles me, and locks me into a kiss. I melt into the kiss, forgetting about the pain covering my body.

After what felt like hours, the two of us break apart.

"I thought I lost you, 'Sidian!" Firana slaps me with her half tail blade. "Don't, _ever_ , pull a stunt like that again!"

I smile, my heart racing faster than a certain blue hedgehog.

"I wouldn't have, if you weren't bleeding out and missing two wings."

"Not that, silly! I'm talking about your battle with Magath!" Oh, that. "I saw the whole thing. I was afraid for your life. I would have jumped in, but… but…"

"But you knew you were no match for him." I finished for her. "That's okay. There is a difference between cowardice and being smart."

Firana smiles, her pupils dilating.

"Thanks, Obsidian. You know, you can be really sweet when you try."

I feel a blush coming to my cheeks. Thank you, black scales, for hiding my black blush.

"Err… thanks?" This is awkward. "You mind getting off me?"

"Oh, sorry." Firana realises that she's probably crushing me, and gets off. "So…"

"…what to do now?" I finish for her. Again. "Well, I'm not going to be up to going out for the next couple of days, so we can't really go on a second date."

Firana smiles evilly.

"We don't have to go anywhere to have a _second date_ , so to speak."

Firana grabs me, and pulls me into my hospital room. Both of us are too… emotional, so to speak, to notice the mole nurse watching the whole thing shake her head, smile, and leave, muttering 'you lucky dragons' under her breath.

 **And that is the end of chapter 21! My best chapter yet, and the end of act 3. If you want to end the story here, do not read beyond this sentence. Act 4 is slightly tragic, but not because of any deaths. No, it is tragic because of what will happen to Obsidian, and the lengths he will go to for revenge. Yes, the darkness inside him has started to corrupt his mind. It won't ever fully corrupt it, you'll be glad to hear, since Obsidian's willpower is far too strong for that. But… well, I'm leaving you all with a final teaser…**

(Unknown POV)

I take my paw off my Time Orb. I can't believe it. Not only did both the problems survive the siege, but they decimated the only army capable of laying siege to Warfang.

I look out into the vortex surrounding me. It has changed. I place my paw back on the Time Orb… but I find that it isn't responding to me anymore. I feel a new emotion, one that I have not felt since I first took up this position.

Fear.

 **I hope you all enjoyed.**

 **I will see you all next time…**


	23. 22: Fate

**Chapter 22: Fate**

 **Well it took us a while to get here, but we are finally. At. The last act. The story up to this point has been fairly standard and generic, and things beyond this point will be extremely… weird. There will likely be some… heart-breaking moments from here on out, starting with Obsidian and Firana getting separated, and ending with a fate worse than death. So, I must recommend closing this fanfiction, pretending the story ends at act 3, and getting a good night's sleep.**

 **Still reading? Alright, here goes. I would say 'enjoy', but that has been for the previous, generic chapters. This one…**

(Obsidian's POV)

"*GASP*!"

I jolt awake for the third time this week. The same dream again…

Remember that one dream, the one with the spinning ring and the portals? I've been having it for the past three nights, each time being more vivid than the last. I can't help but feel like this is some… foreshadowing of the future.

I get out of bed, being careful not to wake Firana, walk over to the exit, and open the door to my room. It has been a week since the Siege of Warfang, and I must say, things have been going smoothly. Thanks to my service in the siege, all charges against me have been dropped, and I've been able to move back into my old room at the dragon temple. The Guardians apologised for their opinions about me, in private of course, and so far, have been surprisingly nice towards me and the other young dragons here. They even allowed me to keep Nifred and my armour.

I walk silently, or as silently as possible, towards the temple gardens. I need to clear my mind, and while the temple gardens certainly aren't the warmest of places, they are the calmest.

I arrive at the gardens in a relatively short amount of time. I settle down in front of the fountain, gazing into it's waters, and I wonder what the holy hand grenade is up with me. The same dream, three nights in a row…

"You're up early for a dragon of your age and calibre, Obsidian."

Volteer… honestly, he's been the nicest to me, even before the siege.

"I've had a lot on my mind recently, and I need to clear said mind before I go insane."

"What has been troubling you?"

I think about it for a moment, before deciding on my answer. It isn't exactly what you'd expect from me, but there is no harm in telling.

"I've been having… dreams, lately, that are more vivid than normal. The last three nights in a row I've had the same dream, and I'm worried that either A. I'm going crazy, or B. they are some sort of visions of the future. Probably both, considering my luck."

Volteer nods, understanding what I'm saying. If this were Terrador or Cyril, they would demand an explanation, but since I'm speaking to a being of intelligence rather than treachery, I suppose an explanation isn't necessary.

"I see. I suspect these dreams are foreshadowing the future, but without seeing them myself I cannot be certain." I know where this is going. "If you were willing to use the Pool of Visions, I would be able to view this dream, and confirm whether or not it is-"

"You said, 'I would be able'." I interrupt, wanting clarification. "So, you don't intend to involve the other Guardians?"

Volteer smiles before giving his answer.

"Obviously not. You don't trust them half as far as you could throw a mountain, and they lack the knowledge, understanding, and experience to give you a logical answer to your query." Thank the seven deadly sins I am a glutton for knowledge, otherwise I wouldn't know what half of those words mean. "I'll escort you to the vision room."

Volteer gets up, and starts walking towards the central room of the temple. I follow closely behind him, suspicious, but curiosity is overwhelming my suspicions.

When we arrive at the vision room, I'm surprised that the other Guardians aren't here. Volteer was being honest then… I'll have to make a mental note to trust him more in the future.

"So, Obsidian, if you would kindly sleep next to the pool, I will begin viewing your dream."

I lay my head down next to the pool of visions, and get relatively comfortable on the stone floor. Almost immediately an unnatural drowsiness fills my body, and I fall asleep…

(Time skip)

I open my eyes, ignoring the sudden pain from the light, and gaze at Volteer.

"So…"

I don't need to finish my question.

"Those dreams are undoubtedly visions of some description, but I doubt they foreshadow the future. There have been very few cases of dragons experiencing visions of the future, and I doubt these dreams are relevant to the timeline."

Volteer says all this with certainty, as if… he knows a thing or two about time! My brain goes into overdrive, memories flooding my vision. One memory sticks out in particular…

"Volteer, when I killed the ape king and drove away his armies with that dark blast, I noticed something. Call it a third eye if you will, but… I saw convexity flowing between the apes, tying them to… something. I'm not sure what. Could you please tell me what exactly-"

"Yes." That was quick. "When I was young, like you, I was fascinated by time. I wanted to understand it, learn what drives it, and if possible, direct it. Unfortunately for me, every single time I came close to uncovering some secret, some terrible accident would ruin my research. A meteor landing right on my elemental equipment. A dragon suddenly needing my specific talents during a time-critical examination. It went on, and on, and on, until eventually, I gave up. I came to a single conclusion: Something, or Someone, is influencing the timeline. And the only energy possibly capable of doing that, is Convexity."

Volteer finishes, and motions for me to leave the room. I walk out, and the door closes behind me. If what Volteer says is true, then someone forced those apes to attack Warfang, and that same someone decided to maim Firana. There is only one solution to this particular problem.

That someone. Must. Die.

(Firana's POV)

(Time skip)

I open my eyes to sunlight pouring through the window.

"Good morning, 'Sidian. 'Sidian?"

I quickly notice Obsidian is not here. He's probably wondered off to the gardens again, like he has been for the past couple of nights. But… this time is different. His armour is gone, as is his glaive. A note is pinned into the wall by a dagger.

I tear the note down, and start reading.

 _Firana._

 _I'm sorry, but I have a confession to make. I have been having… dreams, for the last couple of nights. No, not those kinds of dreams. The especially vivid and confusing kind. I've talked to Volteer about it, and I have come to a conclusion._

Obsidian's writing. I envy Obsidian, since he can do so many things normal dragons can't, writing included, but when I asked him about it he said 'everything comes at a price. The price I have to pay is higher than most'. I don't know what he meant by that…

 _Someone forced those apes to attack Warfang against their will. No, not the ape king, someone else was controlling those apes. I have left to track down and kill them. In the process I will likely become… something else. Do not follow me. I do not want you to see the things I will do._

A tear escapes my eye.

 _I have one last wish. That you remember me until I return. I genuinely enjoyed what little time we had together, and I wish we could spend more, but… things have been set in motion. I know things that you don't want to. Bad things. I have to keep them secret, but I have put something in our room, underneath the bed. A letter, and a gift. The former contains all the information I can reveal to you, and the latter is something for you to remember me by._

 _Even if I have to return from death as a Wraith, I will come back._

 _I'm sorry,_

 _Obsidian._

Tears are streaming down my face faster than a river. I don't sob, wail, or sniffle. I just stand there, the letter in my paw, tears falling. After what felt like years, I put the note down, and search underneath the bed. My paw comes across a package, and I pull it out.

The package is labelled 'For Firana'. I tear the package open, and I find two objects inside it.

The first is a letter.

The second… is the missing half of my tail blade.

(Obsidian's POV)

(Time skip)

It has been a month since I left, with very little success on my end. I spent the first week tracking down and interrogating apes, and the second following up on my few leads. They turned out to be a waste of time. The third and fourth weeks were spent in ruins dotted about the landscape, searching for something hinting at a being controlling time. For the first 13 days, I found nothing. Yesterday, though, I came across something. A hidden chamber, inside a hidden chamber. What I found inside was… disturbing. It was a carving, describing the legend of the first purple dragon. It turns out, he built the well of souls… and it is more than a well.

 **And… chapter end. Rather short and bitter-sweet. You were warned not to continue…**

 **This wraps up the story of every other OC I've come up with, along with that of Spyro and Cynder, until the finale is released. Yes, I am doing a sequel, which will have a sequel, which will also probably have a sequel, etc, etc, etc. There will be a definite end to Obsidian's story, I promise you that, and it will not exactly be a happy one… but trust me, Obsidian and Firana will see each other again. Just not in the way you expect.**

 **Act 4 is only a few chapters long, so this 'book' should be finished before the end of the week, but the story will likely continue for months.**

 **Until next time… assuming, of course, you're still reading next time…**


	24. 23: Inheritance

**Chapter 23: Inheritance**

 **Still reading? Good. That gives me an excuse to keep writing.**

 **Last chapter was kind of sad, Obsidian leaving Firana for the sake of revenge, although he doesn't know it yet, but as I said in a previous chapter, Obsidian is being corrupted by his own darkness. While it won't ever change him in a major way, it will give him… darker desires. Hence his sudden need for vengeance.**

 **Enjoy… if you can.**

(Obsidian's POV)

Apes. Everywhere. The ruins of the Mountain of Malefor lie in front of me, the well of souls somehow intact in the centre of it. It is commonly believed that Malefor created the well of souls, but the carvings in the ruins tell me otherwise. Malefor didn't create the well. His malice simply awoke the power buried deep underneath the ground.

The apes have constructed a wooden fort in the ruins of Mount Malefor, and they seem to be harvesting the power of the well of souls. That explains how they were able to wield convexity, but it raises the question: How on earth are the apes harvesting convexity in the first place?

I get my answer shortly after I ask myself the question. Apes begin walking into the central building, carrying blue spirit gems. After a flash of purple light, the apes walk out, the spirit gems turned a dark purple. So… the apes have found a way to convert blue spirit gems into purple convexity gems… that's a problem.

I ready Nifred, and start sneaking towards the fort. I have no intention of being stealthy once discovered, but if I can get in without being spotted, I'll have the advantage.

I climb up the wooden wall, digging my claws and Nifred into it to provide a good grip, and using my wings to propel myself upwards.

When I reach the top of the wall, I swing Nifred downwards. I surprise myself when my blade buries itself in the head of an unsuspecting ape. Well… free kills for me!

I use a sudden, powerful flap of my wings to propel myself onto the walls, before landing on my hind legs, claws digging into the ground and providing a strong grip. I twirl Nifred in the air, before covering it in my usual, dark flame. There. I have just written a sign that can be viewed from miles around which screams 'The Morgul Warrior is Here!' louder than a trumpet.

All the apes in the fort turn to face me, surprised by my sudden appearance. I don't give them time to react.

"TOL ARCHAN!"

I decide to go for the unorthodox approach, and I throw Nifred like a spear into the neck of the largest ape in the fort. The ape chokes, before falling backwards, dead before he hit the ground. Apes start to charge at me, hoping to catch me defenceless. HAH.

The first ape to reach me is painfully reminded why you don't have a fistfight with a dragon, since a single, elementally enhanced slash tears him apart. The next ape… well, I don't bother going for the subtle approach anymore, and I allow a stream of fire to flow from my maw. The entire fort catches fire, along with most of the apes in it. I allow myself to sit down, the burning carnage around me almost soothing me.

After what felt like seconds, but could have been days, the fort had been reduced to a very large pile of ash. I pick my way through the ashen corpses of the dead apes, salvaging a couple of red spirit gems, I may need them later, and I retrieve Nifred.

Eventually, I reach the spot directly above the well of souls. I'm not sure what to do here, since the carving wasn't clear, so I infuse my element into Nifred, and I slam the bladed portion into the centre of the well. A small explosion of dark energy erupts from where my glaive hit the ground… and said ground starts to give way! I flap my wings, and begin hovering above the falling ground, astonished by what is being revealed.

What the falling ground revealed… was a massive, horizontal portal, which had been constructed entirely out of dragon bone. I almost choked on my own horror. The first purple dragon… built this?! The first purple dragon constructed a portal out of the bones of his own kind?!

Unfortunately, my breakfast decides that now is the best time to disagree with me, and I end up vomiting up the deer I ate this morning. Not pleasant…

I fly down towards the portal, before landing at an edge with a tablet at it. There was a single sentence engraved on the tablet.

 _Spirit gems, in exchange for passage._

At least that was simple… I walk over to a concealed chest, and I find that it is full of blue spirit gems. I pull the chest over to the portal, and with my dark-infused muscles, I throw the contents into the centre of it. The gems levitate for a moment, before exploding in a brilliant display of power, forcing me to avert my eyes. When I look back, the portal is active, a glowing blue tornado of a tunnel visible. I jump, hoping against hope that I've not just signed my own death warrant…

(Unknown POV)

I've been pacing for the last few days, trying to figure out what is wrong with my Time Orb. I can't use it, it is overflowing with dark energy, and-

Suddenly, I feel a massive, purple crystal materialise in the centre of the portal room. I teleport there, hoping that it is not what I think it is. I am disappointed. A massive convexity crystal sits in the centre of the room, a spinning black ring in the centre of it. I recognise that artefact. After all, I created it to control the Well of Souls…

Again, I suddenly feel a burst of energy, this time from the Time room. I teleport back there, this really isn't my day, only to find a seething, black dragon standing at the focal point of the convexity vortex surrounding us. I recognise this black dragon. He's one of the two anomalies I have been trying to kill.

(Obsidian's POV)

The ride through the portal was exceptionally painful, but at least I thrive off pain. Despite this, my guts still feel as if they have been pulled outside my maw, twisted a bit, and shoved back down. I'm going to be sick for a week…

A purple dragon suddenly teleports in front of me. I recognise this dragon. He's the one from my dreams!

"What are you doing here, anomaly?! How did you find me?!"

That voice is deeper and darker than my own corrupted voice… reminds me of Malefor, in a way.

"I am investigating the disruptions in the timeline, and I found you by using your own well."

The purple dragon facepalms, muttering under his breath something along the lines of 'why didn't I destroy the damn thing when I had the chance?'.

The dragon looks up at me, his eyes narrowing in hatred.

"Well, allow me to introduce myself." The dragon bows his head in a courtly manner. "I am Talmaris, the one true Purple Dragon. And you are the Morgul Warrior, the biggest anomaly of the timeline so far."

That last bit was all I needed to hear. I ready Nifred, forcing my element to manifest itself, and I charge at Talmaris, intent on ripping him limb from limb. The purple dragon lazily steps out of the way of my swing, with a bored expression on his face.

"You fool. You are here in your full power, and thus are subject to my full power." Talmaris gathers convexity around him, forcing it to shield him as a form of armour. "I have one question though. How did you figure out that someone was controlling the timeline?"

I almost laugh, but my anger keeps amusement out of my grasp.

"Volteer told me about the many times you interrupted his research. It didn't take much effort to realise that you caused all the death at the Siege of Warfang, and I'm here to prevent you from causing more death!"

I once again charge at Talmaris, this time using as much of my element as possible to enhance my speed. Even so, Talmaris dodges out of the way, my Glaive barely nicking him on the cheek. The Convexity armour blocks my blow however, preventing it from drawing blood.

"You poor soul. Don't you realise that you are in my domain now? The realm of Convexity was discovered by me, and is mine by right! It obeys my commands, and it will take more than a young upstart such as yourself to take my place!"

"Who said anything about taking your place?"

I use every last bit of pain in my body to attack, attempting to draw blood from Talmaris _just once_. Unfortunately, almost all of my blows are avoided, and those that are not are deflected by the Convexity armour.

Exhausted, I fall to my knees, my anger and pain finally spent.

"You understand now, don't you?" Yeah… I do… "You cannot defeat me. I am timeless, immortal, eternal!" Why does that sound familiar? "The only thing that disappoints me is the fact that Firana will go without a Mate for the rest of her life. After all, dragons almost always only love once, and you… will be dead…"

When Talmaris finishes his final sentence, he raises a clawed paw, intent on killing me while I am defenceless. My thoughts drift to Firana, and… I realise that if I do not survive this, I will not be able to keep my promise to return… and that this… god of fate… wishes to ensure that I do not return.

Rage, unlike any I have ever felt before, fills me as I come to a realization. This… demon, has been engineering fate since the beginning. He _knew_ that I cared about Firana, and he ripped her wings off to hurt me. This monster has no morals, and will likely kill every last dragon in existence if it gives him a small sort of amusement.

I bring Nifred up once more, my body filled with a fresh strength… and that second vision I experienced during the Siege of Warfang returns. I can see the convexity armour of Talmaris… and it isn't nearly as strong as I thought.

I parry the clawed paw heading my way, my muscles not only screaming, but thrashing in protest. As the claws of this demon fly away from me, I throw Nifred with all my strength at him. My dark-infused glaive penetrates the armour of this evil god, slicing though his scales with ease, before getting stuck in the shoulder of the beast. Blood bursts from my right wrist, tentacles wrapping around my glaive, and I twist it out, bringing it back towards my paw. This power… I could get used to it.

"What?!" Talmaris appears shocked for a moment, before he summons more convexity. "Very well. If you insist on being a problem…" Convexity pours into the dark dragon, his veins glowing with the purple light. "…then you will face the true power of the Purple Dragon!" The convexity stops gathering in Talmaris. His veins are glowing brighter than the sun, but I manage to combat this glow with my own darkness. "Come, Morgul Warrior, be vanquished by the true strength of the Alpha Dragon!"

I will happily oblige. After all, you may be immortal, but you are not indestructible.

 **And… cliff-hanger! This chapter was a pain to write, and the next one will likely be even more of a pain to write… but trust me, it will be epic, and it will lead into an amazing ending.**

 **Chapter 24 will be the final 'chapter' of Obsidian, and the epilogue will follow it. There will be a sequel, as I've stated before, so buckle up. You've gone too far to turn back now, since if you turn back you will be left wondering what happened.**

 **Until next time, readers…**


	25. 24: Deity

**Chapter 24: Deity**

 **Yes, we are finally at the final chapter. Corrupted light VS Pure darkness… makes you think, doesn't it? What's that? You just want to get on with the story?**

 **Very well, enjoy…**

(Obsidian's POV)

Both me and Talmaris charge at each other, our elements filling the vortex around us. Talmaris' corrupted light, and my pure darkness.

When Talmaris gets within range, I swing Nifred at him, while simultaneously spitting dark flames out of my maw. Talmaris blocks Nifred with his tail blade, and counters my dark flames with a convexity beam. The resulting explosion knocks both of us back, nearly blasting my wings off, and dazing Talmaris.

I take advantage of this situation, and I throw Nifred at Talmaris. He regains his senses just in time to twist out of the way of the incoming glaive, but his tail is still impaled. The purple dragon growls, and charges at me. In a classic, movie-style move, I slide between his legs, and grab Nifred out from underneath him. I twist as I pull my weapon out, earning a screech of pain.

I regain my bearings just in time to feel a convexity beam impact my chest armour. The force behind the explosion is godlike, but I manage to hold my ground. I feel my blood quicken, and I rush towards the god of fate, intent on skewering him on the blade of Nifred. While my anger and pain enhanced my strength and speed, they did little to help my sense of judgment… a fact proven by the fact that I now must avoid both a tail sweep and a convexity blast.

I bring up my wings to block the Convexity blast, and I hold the serrated edge of Nifred towards the incoming tail swipe. Talmaris realises what he's doing just as his tail gets removed by my blade… and just as my wings are burnt by the convexity blast.

Talmaris backs off, using the convexity to force his tail to regrow. I take this opportunity to glance at my wings. Fried. They are still intact, but I doubt I will be able to use them for a good few hours at least.

"You appear to have skill, Morgul Warrior." Is it me, or is there a hint of respect in Talmaris' voice? "Since we both appear in need of a respite, would you mind telling me how you got here? Not into Convexity, since I already know the answer to that, but how you got into the dragon realms?"

I have nothing to lose…

"I fell asleep just as a dark fire whisked me away. Simple as."

Talmaris looks dumbstruck for a moment, before he comes to a conclusion.

"The ancestors… of course, they would be involved in this. Even though I am the one who raised them to near godhood, they still interfere with my business, even going as far as to infuse you, a useless dragon nobody, with powers neither of us can comprehend!"

I spot a moment of opportunity. I surround myself with dark flames, and launch myself, glaive first, towards Talmaris. He doesn't have time to react. My glaive impacts Talmaris in the centre of the chest, and the explosion completely drains me of power…

When I manage to stand up again, the first thing I see is a tail flying down a hole. The purple dragon is escaping! I pick myself up, and fly after him despite the pain. The dragon has a head start… so when he disappears into a room filled with portals, I have no idea where he went.

I turn my head towards the centre of the room, and I notice a purple crystal there. The one from my dream! I shatter the crystal with a punch, and, as expected, a floating black ring becomes visible. I extend my left forepaw, and the ring flies onto a claw. The sudden surge of power knocks me unconscious…

(Death)

I open my eyes, only to find myself face to face with a purple dragon. Not the Talmaris, thank goodness.

"Hush now, Obsidian, you are safe here."

I examine the area. A pure white room, with two open doors. One is large and welcoming, with dragons gazing happily towards me, beckoning for me to join them. The other… is dark, cold, and lifeless.

"Am I dead?"

I don't want to know the answer to that question, but I must know.

"Yes. That ebony ring forced your soul out of your body." Tears somehow do not appear in my eyes. "It is okay to be sad."

But I'm not.

When the purple dragon realised I was not crying, he shrugged, and gestured towards the welcoming door.

"It is fine to leave your previous life behind, because eternity is in front of you."

I gaze towards the dark door. The purple dragon shakes his head.

"You don't want to go that way. Every dragon who has ever gone through there, has either come back a villainous wreck, or not come back at all."

I stare at the purple dragon, realising that I had a choice. I could either move onto my eternity, or I could go back to my mortal life, potentially do more good… and damn myself. I made my choice when I sent Firana her letter. I am going back.

I turn towards the dark door, resigning myself to my eventual fate. If a second chance at life corrupts me fully, I swear, I will ensure that I can be defeated. I turn around, with a parting message for the purple dragon.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

And I step through the door.

(Life)

I gasp awake, my soul returned to my body. The pain is intense, but again, I feed off pain.

I stand up, a newfound strength in my body. I glance at my paw. The ebony ring rests on my right-most non-opposable claw, and the runes are no longer pitch black. Instead, they are glowing with the same dark fires that make up my elemental powers. I glance around. It takes me a few moments to realise that the portals surrounding me are all active. I count them. Seven portals. I look at the centre of the room, and I realise that the crystal has reformed, without the ring in the centre of it.

I place my ringed paw on the crystal, and I feel a rush of power, and… sight. There is no other way to describe it. I quickly realise what I must do, and I resign myself to it. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… right now, I am the few, and the innocents threatened by Talmaris are the many. But I can still speak to Firana, one last time, before I go to my potential second death.

 **And… chapter end. The shortest chapter I have written so far, but in my opinion one of the best. Please review.**

 **Until next time… which will be the epilogue of the story. And it won't be a happy one…**


	26. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

(Firana's POV)

I stare into the mirror. It has been over a month since Obsidian left, and I'm starting to fall into a depression. I can't believe he just… left. With no warning.

I place a paw on the mirror, and I start to cry. I've poured my tears out every morning for the past month, hoping that Obsidian will come back on that day… but he hasn't. I know he will return to me, he promised that he would… but I still feel despair.

"Don't cry, Firana."

I look up at the mirror, and instead of a red and silver dragoness, I see a black dragon, with glowing orange irises.

"Obsidian…!"

A fresh set of tears fall down my face. This isn't possible, not unless-

"I died, Firana, but I defeated the one who was controlling the timeline. You're free." The tears have turned into a river now, pouring out faster than a rainstorm. Obsidian is dead… it isn't possible… "Don't worry, I'm alive again. I had the choice to return from death, and I took it. I would come back, but there are other thing I need to do."

"But… Obsidian…" I start sobbing. "I can't go any longer without you. Why can't you just-"

"Because Talmaris escaped through a portal to another world." What? "While he will never threaten this timeline again, he is threatening other timelines. I can't rest until he has been stopped." Obsidian pauses, and takes a breath. "I promise you, I will be back, in the flesh, once this is all over. Goodbye."

With a flash of dark fire, the mirror shatters. That only confirms it. That really was Obsidian.

Spyro rushes into my room.

"Did something happen? I heard a crash, then-"

Spyro stops speaking when he sees the shattered mirror.

"It is Obsidian. He… he's gone, Spyro, but he will come back."

(Obsidian's POV)

I sigh, and I take my paw off the purple crystal. The power flowing through me lessens. I focus my sight, trying to track down Talmaris, before settling my eyes on a specific portal. He went through this one… I am sure of it. I focus my power towards the portal, and it opens in a display of dark energy.

I glance back into the purple crystal, hoping to see a glimpse of Firana before I go. Nothing.

I turn towards the portal, and I jump through. Whatever world I am about to enter, will likely be unfamiliar and hostile towards me. I don't care. All that matters, is defeating Talmaris, and making it safely back to Firana.

 **And… that marks the end of 'Obsidian'. A short epilogue, more of a teaser really, but it closes off the story nicely. The sequel, believe it or not, will be a crossover. I'm not sure with what, but… I'm going to shut up before I give anything away.**

 **Please leave a review. I really enjoyed writing this, and I want to know how I did.**

 **Until the sequel, I bid you good day…**


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